German opposition loses Snowden hearing bid

December 12, 2014 07:28 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 06:52 pm IST - BERLIN

Germany’s highest court has thrown out a bid by opposition parties to force the government to allow former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to come to Berlin to testify about the agency’s activities.

Members of the opposition Greens and Left Party want a parliamentary panel investigating the National Security Agency’s activities to hear Snowden in person. However, the government doesn’t want to allow Mr. Snowden into the country, citing the potential damage to relations with the U.S.

The Federal Constitutional Court said Friday it has rejected as legally inadmissible a suit by the two opposition parties against the government’s stance.

Government parties on the panel suggested questioning Mr. Snowden in Moscow, but he has said through a lawyer he will only speak to the panel if allowed to do so Germany.

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