Norway's court rejects Snowden lawsuit for safe travel to receive prize

OSLO - A Norwegian court has rejected fugitive US whistle-blower Edward Snowden's lawsuit against Norway to ensure he can travel to the Nordic country to receive a prize without fear of being extradited to the United States, public broadcaster NRK reported Monday.

Snowden filed the lawsuit against the Norwegian government to the Oslo District Court in April via a local law firm after the Norwegian PEN organization awarded him the Ossietzky Prize for 2016 and invited him to receive the award in Oslo on Nov. 18.

Norway's state attorney in May requested that the court reject the lawsuit, saying that Snowden's case is not a civil one, but should be tried by the proceedings for criminal cases, which would be relevant if Snowden is in Norway and the United States has submitted an extradition request.

The Oslo District Court agreed with the interpretation and rejected the lawsuit. The court also ruled that Snowden must pay 7,000 kroner (821 US dollars) in legal costs to the state, NRK reported.

Law firm Schjodt, which represented Snowden in Norway, said in April that its client had a strong desire to come to Norway to personally receive the award and the purpose of the lawsuit was to legally establish that Norway has no right to extradite Snowden to the United States.

Local media reported that the United States had previously asked Norway to extradite Snowden to his home country if he entered the country, but the Norwegian authorities did not take any clear stand on the issue.

Snowden faces three felony charges in the United States, including espionage, after he disclosed a classified US intelligence project code-named PRISM in June 2013.

He obtained refugee status in Russia in August 2013 and currently holds a Russian residential permit valid for three years. But the status will be canceled once Snowden leaves Russia.