<story><title>Fair trial impossible in U.S., Snowden tells Ecuador</title><url>http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/24/politics/nsa-leak/index.html?hpt=hp_t2</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>DanHulton</author><text>There&amp;#x27;s a lot of discussion here that is missing the point that is clearly expressed in the first paragraph of the article:&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Pleading for asylum from U.S. officials he says want to persecute him, NSA leaker Edward Snowden told Ecuadorian officials that he fears a life of inhumane treatment -- even death -- if he&amp;#x27;s returned the United States to answer espionage charges, the country&amp;#x27;s foreign minister said Monday.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Snowden isn&amp;#x27;t afraid of being found guilty and serving a reasonable sentence.  He&amp;#x27;s afraid of disappearing into a secret dungeon and tortured for decades.  Which is a thing the USA has been proven to do.  Recently.  To people who have upset the government way, way less than he has.&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s a legit fear.</text></comment>
<story><title>Fair trial impossible in U.S., Snowden tells Ecuador</title><url>http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/24/politics/nsa-leak/index.html?hpt=hp_t2</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>ihsw</author><text>Interesting how the US equates her own jurisdiction with &amp;#x27;the law.&amp;#x27;&lt;p&gt;During the HK debacle they made this statement:&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; If Hong Kong doesn&amp;#x27;t act soon, it will complicate our bilateral relations and raise questions about Hong Kong&amp;#x27;s commitment to the rule of law.&lt;p&gt;And again regarding Russia:&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; I would urge them to live by the standards of the law because that is in the interest of everybody.&lt;p&gt;Universal jurisdiction is a difficult policy to enforce since it can be challenged so plainly and directly by other state actors, especially if it&amp;#x27;s enforced selectively based on diplomatic convenience.</text></comment>