BERLIN -- The German government will look for ways to question whistleblower Edward Snowden in Russia on U.S. spying that included alleged monitoring of Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone, Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said Wednesday.
The minister said after a meeting of the parliamentary committee overseeing the secret services that Berlin will examine how and under what conditions it would be possible in Moscow to hear from Snowden and obtain information from him on the spying.
Friedrich also reiterated the German government's position that Snowden has no right to asylum in Germany because he is not politically persecuted, though German opposition has been calling for granting asylum to Snowden so that the former U.S. spy agency contractor could travel to Germany to testify.
Snowden has said he is willing to help the German government in its probe into U.S. spying after his meeting with opposition Green party lawmaker Christian Stroebele who met the whistleblower last week in Moscow. He has been granted temporary asylum in Russia after exposing massive surveillance by the U.S. intelligence services.
Merkel has made it clear that she will not put the German-U.S. ties at risk as receiving Snowden in Germany would be a diplomatic affront against the U.S..
German and U.S. intelligence officials are meeting this week in order to reach agreement on the spying accord, hoping to alleviate the public outcry over media reports that U.S. intelligence agencies have monitored tens of millions of phone calls in Europe, including the tapping of Merkel's phone communication.
