German opposition slams Maas’ Snowden comments

In an interview with the dpa news agency, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said that Edward Snowden's best bet at life after the National Security Agency (NSA) revelations was to go back to the US and face trial: "He is only in his early thirties and would definitely not want to spend the rest of his life being chased around the world or applying for one asylum after another."

Maas said that Snowden's lawyers were talking to American officials and looking into the possibility of Snowden returning to the US. "If both sides agree, it would serve Snowden's purpose," he said.

A 'disgrace'

However, various German opposition politicians have criticized Maas's statements. Konstantin von Notz, a Greens parliamentarian and member of the German NSA inquiry committee, said that the German government was "behaving very cynically."

Von Notz finds Germany's stance unaccceptable

"It's a disgrace for the western democracies - for Germany but also for the US - that someone like Snowden needs to be taken in by a despotic ruler like Vladimir Putin, because he can't get refuge in Germany or in the US," explained Von Notz.

For months now, the German opposition has been proposing that Snowden be questioned by Germany's NSA inquiry committee in order to shed light on the scale of US intelligence spying in Germany. Von Notz said that Maas should arrange for Snowden to face the committee but "unfortunately he isn't doing that."

No asylum in Germany

Snowden previously expressed his interest in coming to Germany, but the US has sent a formal "arrest request" to the German government, which has complicated matters. It is unclear whether the German authorities would arrest him or deport him to the US once he landed in Berlin.

"We have asked the US government some questions regarding this, but we haven't got any answers," said Maas. "We are being cautious and want to know exactly how Snowden would be treated if he appears for a trial in the USA."

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German opposition slams Maas' Snowden comments