Edward Snowden meets father in Russia

Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence contractor, met his father in Russia, media reports said here Friday.

An unidentified source told Interfax news agency ""Their meeting has already taken place. It was very emotional". However, the meeting's time and place were not disclosed for security reasons, Xinhua reported.

Edward faces espionage charges by the US government after disclosing a classified intelligence project code-named PRISM. He received a one-year asylum after being trapped in a Moscow airport for over a month.

His father, Lon Snowden, arrived in Moscow early Thursday with a multi-entry visa. Upon arrival, the father said he was pleased to see that his son was safe and free.

He also expressed his "extreme gratitude" to Russian President Vladimir Putin and others for helping Edward find his place in the country.

In a interview with a Russian-24 TV, Lon said he had not talked to his son directly since April.

Snowden's Russian attorney Anatoly Kucherena, who accompanied Lon, said the 30-year-old "is leading a quite reclusive lifestyle these days" because he is being persecuted by the US government and the danger lingers.

Russian authorities, however, did not comment on Lon's arrival.

Snowden, who worked for the National Security Agency in Hawaii, fled to Hong Kong in June and then flew to Moscow where he was given a year's political asylum.