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Snowden says no chance of fair US trial under current laws

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ANI London
Last Updated : Jan 24 2014 | 11:30 AM IST

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has reportedly said that there is no chance for him to have a fair trial in the US under the current laws.

Snowden said that the 100-year-old law under which he has been charged 'forbids a public interest defence' and thus he has no plans to return back home.

According to the BBC, the 30-year-old former NSA contractor, who has been charged with espionage by the US for leaking classified data about the alleged mass surveillance programmes, said that his predicament over not having a fair trial was 'especially frustrating'.

He said that when Congress comes together to end the alleged programmes, would they reform the Whistleblower Protection Act and there would emerge a change for a fair trial.

Meanwhile, US Attorney General Eric Holder expressed his unwillingness to consider clemency for Snowden and said that the US authorities would engage in conversation about a resolution of the case if the whistleblower accepted responsibility for leaking government secrets.

The 30-year-old former NSA contractor has been charged with espionage by the US and is currently under temporary political asylum in Russia.

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First Published: Jan 24 2014 | 11:23 AM IST

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