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by sk00byd00 4740 days ago
> The actions from what we've seen so far are completely legal; what Snowden did is not. It's incredibly simple.

Ah, innocent until proven guilty and all that!

I am not entirely convinced everything we have seen the US do in this case in legal in international terms. By pressuring countries to ignore the asylum process in order to carry out an illegal extradition is already crossing a line. If he was to be extradited it would be breaking international law.

And the US was one of the primary authors of these international laws, treaties and standards of human rights.
1 comments
jasonlotito 4740 days ago
Pressure is fine.

> If he was to be extradited it would be breaking international law.

What international law prevents a country from willingly deporting a foreigner?

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sk00byd00 4737 days ago
There are non-refoulement[1] clauses in international refugee law that 181 countries around the world are bound to, I believe.

In previous cases[2] where people are deported whilst seeking asylum the UNHCR has said:

> UNHCR denounced the move as a violation of the "non-refoulement" policy that prohibits the forced return of asylum seekers to areas where they could face danger – a cornerstone of international refugee protection.

> "We cannot accept that these asylum seekers were deported without a chance to explain their case,"

In my opinion, for the rule of law to stand, the asylum process must conclude before he gets deported.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-refoulement [2] http://www.unhcr.org/3fe98ef84.html

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