Icelandic Parliament Thursday discussed a proposal to grant immediate citizenship to whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The former U.S. National Security Agency contractor, who has been charged with espionage for revealing the secret U.S. electronic surveillance program Prism, has been caught in legal limbo in the international transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport since he arrived there from Hong Kong on June 23.

Ogmundur Jonasson, whose liberal Left-Green Party is backing the proposal along with the Pirate Party and Brighter Future Party, raised the proposal at the Judicial Affairs Committee, but the proposal received little support.

Only six members of minority parties were in favor of the proposal. The Parliament has a total of 63 members.

Jonasson argued to parliament on Thursday that Snowden "is now being chased and has nowhere to go," according to Icelandic media.

According to a WikiLeaks statement, he has sought asylum in 21 countries. The countries include Russia, India, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela, China, Iceland and Ecuador.

France, Italy, Brazil, Finland, Germany, India, Poland have turned down his asylum application.

Austria, Ecuador, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland said his application request is valid only if it is applied on their soil.

Snowden has dropped his asylum application to Russia after he learnt of the preconditions set by Russian President Putin.

Top U.S. officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, have called on countries to reject Snowden's asylum request.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)