Former US intelligence contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden has asked Moscow to extend his asylum in Russia.<br /><br />Last August he was given a one-year visa by Moscow even though the US wanted him sent home to face criminal charges including spying and disclosing secrets.<br /><br />Snowden’s Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena has reportedly filed a request to have his asylum prolonged, saying his current visa expires on July 31.<br /><br />The US strongly criticised the original decision to grant him a visa, one of many reasons for its strained relations with Russia. <br /><br />Snowden fled Hong Kong and got stranded at Moscow airport last year after revealing US intelligence secrets.
