Russia on Thursday granted Edward Snowden temporary asylum and let the US whistleblower leave the Moscow airport where he had been staying for almost five weeks, dpa reported. Snowden left Sheremetyevo airport for an undisclosed destination, his Russian lawyer Anataloy Kucherena said in televised comments at the airport. He said that Russian authorities had granted Snowden temporary asylum for one year. TV footage showed Kucherena holding up a copy of a Russian refugee ID with Snowden's photo, name, and an expiry date of July 31, 2014. The lawyer explained that Snowden's location would not be revealed because of safety concerns. "He is one of the world's most-sought persons," he said. Kucherena said Snowden had left the airport in a taxi.