Snowden's father to visit Russia 'soon': Lawyer

MOSCOW - Agence France-Presse

Placards featuring an image of former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. AFP Photo

Edward Snowden's father is seeking a Russian visa and plans to visit his fugitive son in Moscow soon, the lawyer helping the US intelligence leaker with his Russian asylum application said Wednesday.
 
"Today we agreed over the telephone (together with Edward Snowden) that I will put together an invitation for his father to come to Russia," Anatoly Kucherena told Russian news agencies.
 
"I hope that it won't take too long to issue a visa," he said. By law, any visa for an American to go to Russia requires an invitation, which can be written by a private individual, or a hotel, and sent over to the embassy where the application is being processed.
 
Snowden's father Lon gave an interview earlier Wednesday to the Russian television channel Rossiya 24, in which he greeted his son and told him to stay safe.
 
He also revealed that the FBI has contacted him with an offer to go to Russia, which he did not accept for fear that he may be used to pressure his son.
 
Edward Snowden has been staying in the Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow since June 23, flying in from Hong Kong after leaking details of US surveillance operations in the world. The former NSA contractor is wanted on felony charges by the United States but Russia has refused to extradite him.