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Edward Snowden's father seeks travel visa to Russia

McLEAN, Virginia The father of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has applied for a travel visa to Russia and hopes to be able to visit his son as soon as next week.

Lon Snowden, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, has said he's been unable to speak directly to his son since Edward Snowden publicly disclosed details of NSA's surveillance programs and received asylum in Russia.

Mattie Fein, a spokeswoman for Lon Snowden's lawyer, Bruce Fein, said Friday that both have applied for travel visas and hope to fly to Russia as soon as possible, maybe by next week.

Fein says the elder Snowden wants to ensure that his son understands his legal situation in the U.S., where he has been charged in federal court with violations of the Espionage Act.

President Obama canceled a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following Russia's decision to grant asylum to former Snowden.

CBS News Moscow bureau chief Svetlana Berdnikova reports that Snowden is legally free to travel around Russia and occupy any non-state job in the country.

The head of the migration service in Moscow, Olga Kirillova, told Interfax that her office had no knowledge of where Snowden was as of Friday, except that "he is not in Moscow."

The former NSA contractor's whereabouts inside Russia are being kept secret, CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reported, but his lawyer says he's in a secure location; a private home with American friends and -- when he's comfortable -- he may consider making an appearance to the media.

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