Parliament to hear Snowden in pre-recorded video testimony / MEPs say No to Snowden asylum in Europe

The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs voted on 9 January 2014 to allow a pre-recorded video testimony from whistle-blower Edward Snowden. The hearing would feed into the European Parliament special inquiry into allegations of mass surveillance by US intelligence services. A draft of the report from Rapporteur Claude Moraes was published on the 9 January 2014.

The Civil Liberties Committee voted on the draft report on the 12 February 2014 and voted against calling for asylum protection for former US intelligence agency contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Data 'Safe Harbour' under threat as US castigates EU Parliament over Snowden http://www.europeansources.info/record/data-safe-harbour-under-threat-as-us-castigates-eu-parliament-over-snowden/

BBC News, 09.01.14: MEPs seek video link with Snowden for NSA spying probe http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25669448

Deutsche Welle, 09.01.14: EU report reveals massive scope of secret NSA surveillance http://dw.de/p/1Ao6t

European Parliament: Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs: Draft Report on the US NSA surveillance programme, surveillance bodies in various Member States and their impact on EU citizens’ fundamental rights and on transatlantic cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs http://www.statewatch.org/news/2014/jan/ep-draft-nsa-surveillance-report.pdf

ESO: Background information: MEPs not convinced by positive reports of data exchange deals with the US http://www.europeansources.info/record/meps-not-convinced-by-positive-reports-of-data-exchange-deals-with-the-us/

European Parliament: Press Release, 06.11.13: Moraes: EP is looking not only into NSA allegations but also at EU's own backyard http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20131106STO23912/html/Moraes-EP-looks-not-only-into-NSA-allegations-but-also-at-EU%27s-own-backyard

European Parliament: News: Top Stories: Data protection http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/top-stories/content/20130901TST18405/html/Data-protection

Euronews, 09.01.14: MEPs seek to question Snowden via video over NSA spying http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/09/meps-seek-to-question-snowden-via-video-over-nsa-spying/

EUObserver, 10.01.14: Edward Snowden set for EU parliament video link http://euobserver.com/justice/122687

The Guardian, 09.01.14: NSA and GCHQ activities appear illegal, says EU parliamentary inquiry http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/nsa-gchq-illegal-european-parliamentary-inquiry

The New York Times, 09.01.14: E.U. Panel Invites Snowden to Testify on Privacy Breaches http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/world/europe/eu-panel-invites-snowden.html

Deutsche Welle, 09.01.14: EU Parliament invites Snowden to testify http://dw.de/p/1AnuS

The Guardian, 09.01.14: European parliament invites Edward Snowden to testify via video http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/edward-snowden-invited-testify-video-european-parliament-nsa-surveillance

European Parliament: Press Release, 12.02.14: NSA inquiry: what experts revealed to MEPs http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20140212STO35701/html/NSA-inquiry-what-experts-revealed-to-MEPs

EUObserver, 12.02.14: MEPs say No to Snowden asylum in Europe http://euobserver.com/justice/123112

Euronews, 12.02.14: MEPs reject Green asylum call for Snowden http://www.euronews.com/2014/02/12/meps-reject-green-asylum-call-for-snowden/

Deutsche Welle, 13.02.14: Snowden 'left in the lurch' by EU Parliament http://dw.de/p/1B8E4

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