From today's New York Times:
"E.U. Panel Invites Snowden to Testify on Privacy Breaches"
http://www.nytimes.com/...
PARIS — A European Parliament committee has invited Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who has leaked classified government documents and is now in hiding in Russia, to testify via video link as part of an investigation into how to protect the privacy of European citizens.
The Parliament’s Justice and Civil Liberties Committee voted 36-2 with one abstention on Thursday to seek testimony from Mr. Snowden, whose exposures of the reach of surveillance activities by the United States on even its closest allies has raised global awareness about privacy issues and deeply embarrassed the Obama administration. Mr. Snowden has become a hero among civil liberty advocates in both Europe and the United States.
[snip]
The testimony would be done by video so Mr. Snowden would not have to leave Russia, where he has been granted a year’s asylum, and risk extradition to the United States, where he has been charged with espionage and theft.
Of course, the European Parliament doesn't speak with just one voice or have just one opinion; but if it did, asking Edward Snowden to testify without offering him asylum would take a lot of chutzpah. If what he has to say is valuable enough for the time of a committee of European parliamentarians, they should want to keep him around and available for further testimony.
Mr. Snowden ought to ask for permanent asylum in all countries of the EU as a condition of testifying. If he gets that, from even one country, he should probably accept. Even if he doesn't get asylum he should probably testify by video link, but maybe during that testimony take a swipe at the EU for asking his advice without in return giving him asylum.
Not that they'd be the only gutless wonders in the world.