Justice Ministry explains why Russia cannot ‘return’ Snowden to U.S.

Russia cannot turn in former CIA employee Edward Snowden because the term 'forced return' does not exist in international law, the Justice Ministry said in a statement on Saturday, according to Interfax.

"As a rule, the term 'return' in Russian law and practice is applied to voluntary entry of individuals from abroad into the country whose citizens they are," the ministry said in reply to an inquiry from Interfax.

This term is not used in international law in the context of forced repatriation of individuals to the country of their citizenship, it said.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said earlier the U.S. was not seeking Snowden's extradition but was asking for his return. "The U.S. is not asking for 'extradition', but simply the return of Mr. Snowden. We have sent many people back to Russia," McFaul said on Twitter on Wednesday.