斯諾登考慮迴歸 正與美國政府談條件

American whistleblower Edward Snowden is “considering” returning home to the USA under certain conditions, his lawyer told German news magazine Der Spiegel.

"There are negotiations," Snowden's German lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck told Der Spiegel. "Those who know the case are aware that an amicable agreement with the US authorities will be most reasonable.”

All efforts are now focused on finding a solution acceptable for Edward Snowden, at least in the medium term, according to Kaleck, who is also secretary-general for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.

Meanwhile, former NSA contractor isn’t involved in these negotiations, according to Kaleck, who added that his client never acted selfishly and caused no damage.

At Kaleck’s request, the NSA investigation committee in the German Bundestag, a constitutional and legislative body, is currently clarifying with the Cabinet of Germany (Bundesregierung) if the whistleblower can enter and testify there.

Reports that the famous whistleblower wants to come back to the US and was seeking high-ranked lawyer to negotiate his return first emerged in April. The New York Times wrote that during the summer of 2013, Snowden was seeking the assistance of DC-based attorney Plato Cacheris to negotiate a plea deal with federal prosecutors that would allow Snowden to return to the US as well as spare him significant prison time.

Snowden, while employed by the NSA, took up to 1.7 million classified files on US vast surveillance apparatus and intelligence gathering methods.

The ex-NSA contractor is currently under temporary asylum in Russia. He is wanted by the US on charges of espionage and theft of government property after leaking a vast trove of classified material to journalists that revealed more understanding of the National Security Agency’s global spying operations.

Earlier Snowden said that he wishes to return to the US, but is concerned he would be unfairly convicted of spying and subjected to the same treatment as other leakers who dared to expose government secrets during the Obama administration’s relentless pursuit of whistleblowers under the Espionage Act.

On May 20, a plea to give political asylum to Snowden if Scotland votes for independence was sent to the Scottish Parliament. Campaigner Mick Napier, a teacher at University of Glasgow put forward a petition calling for Snowden, now rector of Glasgow University, to be given shelter in Scotland.美國“棱鏡”監控醜聞揭祕者愛德華•斯諾登的律師沃爾夫岡•卡萊克向德國新聞雜誌《明鏡週刊》透露，斯諾登目前正“考慮”在某種條件下返回美國。

“雙方正在談判。所有熟悉此事的人都明白，與美國政府達成和解協議將是最合理的方式。”

因此，雙方所有的努力都集中於至少在中期範圍內找到一個對斯諾登來說可接受的解決辦法， 卡萊克說。

他表示，斯諾登泄密從來不是自私的行爲，也沒對社會造成傷害，因此希望美國政府能爲斯諾登回家創造條件。

據悉，斯諾登本人並未參與這些談判。在卡雷克的請求下，德國聯邦議院NSA調查委員會目前正在與德國內閣評估斯諾登是否可前來德國作證事宜。

4月，有報道稱斯諾登希望返美，正邀請高級律師同美國政府談判。《紐約時報》報道稱，2013年夏天，斯諾登曾尋求華盛頓著名律師普拉託•卡切里斯的幫助同美國聯邦檢察官談判，如達成協議，斯諾登將得以回國，刑期大大縮短。

斯諾登目前仍在俄羅斯避難，掌握有170萬份美國全球監控和情報蒐集方式的機密文件。

去年以來，斯諾登接連向記者披露機密文件，使美國國家安全局的全球監控活動公之於衆，後遭美國政府通緝，罪名是間諜罪和盜竊國家財產罪。

早些時候，斯諾登曾表示希望迴歸，但擔心被判間諜罪成立，經歷其他美國政府泄密者同樣的命運。

今年2月，斯諾登當選蘇格蘭格拉斯哥大學學生校長。5月20日，該校教師兼活動家米克•內皮爾發起了一份請願書，呼籲斯諾登能獲准在蘇格蘭避難。而蘇格蘭將於9月18日舉行是否脫離英國獨立的全民公投。