Former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden planned to meet human rights groups on Friday (July 12) at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, where the fugitive contractor has likely been in the passenger transit area since he flew from Hong Kong on June 23.

In an email sent to a Human Rights Watch official and posted on Facebook, the writer professing to be Snowden said U.S. officials have been waging a campaign to prevent him from taking up offers of asylum.

In the letter, he said he had invited human rights groups to meet at Sheremetyevo Aiport to discuss "next steps forward in my situation".

In a separate email to Reuters, the writer confirmed that the meeting with human rights groups would go ahead but said it would be closed to the press. He said he planned to speak to the media later.

Presented by Adam Justice