U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden defended his question to President Vladimir Putin in The Guardian on Friday, a day after he asked the Russian president about government surveillance in Russia.
Snowden, coordinating with The Guardian through the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in an op-ed that he asked Putin whether Russia ran a widespread surveillance program to get him on the record denying the suspected activities, adding that his answer was "suspiciously narrow" and "evasive."
After a somewhat lengthy conferral with the television presenter for a Russian rephrasing of Snowden's English question, Putin answered by drawing a comparison between the whistleblower's experience at the U.S. National Security Agency and his own time with the KGB and saying that Russia only uses limited surveillance when approved by a court order.
The question brought Snowden a wave of criticism from Western observers, with Economist editor Edward Lucas telling The Wall Street Journal that the question made him "look like a propaganda patsy of the Kremlin."
Snowden said in his op-ed that he knows his appearance "could be misinterpreted," but said that it was "rare opportunity to lift a taboo on discussion of state surveillance before an audience that primarily views state media outweighed that risk."
While Snowden hoped that Russian media would take up the task of challenging inconsistencies in Putin's response, others have been disappointed by the lack of attention to the content in the president's answer.
Andrei Soldatov, a journalist mentioned by Snowden as а prominent critic of the Russian surveillance system, posted on his Twitter account Friday: "Something about the society we live in: while Snowden's question to Putin is hotly debated in English, I don't see much of debate in Russian."
Something about the society we live in: while Snowden's question to Putin is hotly debated in English, I don't see much of debate in Russian
— Andrei Soldatov (@AndreiSoldatov) April 18, 2014
Soldatov expressed a desire for Snowden to be further involved in demystifying government surveillance, posting, "Great that Snowden and I may comment on each other's comments, hope one day he'll be ready to talk to [Russian] journalists."
Great that Snowden and I may comment on each other's comments, hope one day he'll be ready to talk to Rus journalists http://t.co/fiKXIXJOVV
— Andrei Soldatov (@AndreiSoldatov) April 18, 2014
See related stories:
Putin Answers 81 of 2.5 Million Questions During Call-In
Snowden Granted Asylum, Offered Job
Contact the author at c.brennan@imedia.ru
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
