Grant whistle blower Snowden asylum say European Greens

The recent revelations about the borderless spying activities against so-called friend EU countries and their institutions by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the British secret service must lead to a rapid political response according to European Greens.

Rebecca Harms and Dany Cohn-Bendit, Co-Presidents of the Greens/EFA group in the European parliament want to use the debate and resolution already scheduled for next week's Strasbourg plenary session to launch an investigation.

Commenting on the revelations, Rebecca Harms said:

"A special committee of the EU parliament must be launched immediately. We must not postpone the decision to after the summer break. The EU should cancel the agreements on Swift and PNR with the US. Before starting negotiations on a future trade agreement (TTIP) with the US, we need a debate about the infringement of international law by PRISM and Tempora. The last few days have shown how urgently we need an international agreement on data protection."

Daniel Cohn-Bendit added:

"Whistleblower Snowden has stood up for human and civil rights, especially those of European citizens. Granting him asylum now is a question of European values.. To leave him stuck in limbo in a no-man's land is ignoble and damages the EU's image.

"We will propose Snowden for the European parliament's Sakharov prize."