European Parliament panel invites Snowden to testify

PanARMENIAN.Net - A European Parliament committee has invited Edward Snowden to testify via video link in its investigation of U.S. surveillance practices, the Associated Press reports.

The Justice and Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday, Jan 9, voted 36-2 with one abstention to seek testimony from the former National Security Agency contractor, who has exposed the reach of the United States' secret surveillance apparatus.

No date has been proposed and it was not immediately clear if Snowden would accept the invitation.

The lawmakers' investigation is aimed at drafting policy recommendations to better protect European citizens' privacy and improve the EU institutions' IT security.

Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Moscow following his revelations, which have prompted a global debate over the limits of surveillance and the value of privacy.