British woman who has spent the last four months with whistleblower Edward Snowden leaves Russia but refuses to return home in case she is prosecuted



WikiLeaks journalist Sarah Harrison left Russia yesterday



Said it was 'heartening' to see Germans offering their support to Snowden

Left Mr Snowden in Moscow, where he has been since June



A British journalist who has spent the last four months with US whistleblower Edward Snowden has arrived in Germany amid reports the country's lawmakers want to question him.



WikiLeaks journalist Sarah Harrison, left Russia, saying her lawyers had advised her against travel to Britain over fears she could be prosecuted if she returns to her native country.



Leaving Mr Snowden in Moscow, where he has been since June, she said it was 'heartening' to see Germans calling on their government to offer the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor asylum.



Departed: WikiLeaks journalist Sarah Harrison, left Russia, saying her lawyers had advised her against travel to Britain over fears she could be prosecuted if she returns to her native country

It has been reported that German MPs would like to question Mr Snowden in Russia on his recent disclosures on NSA activities that have included the alleged tapping of chancellor Angela Merkel's phone.

NSA leaker Edward Snowden has been in Russia since June

Mr Snowden, who was granted temporary asylum in Russia in August, worked with The Guardian to reveal mass surveillance programmes such as the NSA-run Prism and the GCHQ-operated Tempora.



In a statement issued by Wikileaks, Ms Harrison, who is in Berlin, said: 'As a journalist I have spent the last four months with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and arrived in Germany over the weekend.'



She went on: 'Already, in the few days I have spent in Germany, it is heartening to see the people joining together and calling for their government to do what must be done - to investigate NSA spying revelations, and to offer Edward Snowden asylum.'



Ms Harrison worked in Hong Kong as part of the WikiLeaks team that brokered a number of asylum offers for Snowden and accompanied him on his flight from the Chinese territory to Latin America when his passport was revoked, effectively stranding him in Russia.



She spent 39 days with him in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, where he applied for asylum to 21 countries, including Germany.



A German parliamentary committee overseeing the secret services has decided to ask its Government to look at the possibility of questioning Mr Snowden in Russia, its chairman Thomas Oppermann told reporters.



Allegations: It has been reported that German MPs would like to question Mr Snowden on his recent disclosures on NSA activities that have included the alleged tapping of chancellor Angela Merkel's phone

Last week, it was reported Mr Snowden was willing to visit Germany to help investigate the alleged US surveillance of chancellor Merkel.



And the British ambassador in Berlin was reportedly called in for a meeting at the German foreign ministry on Tuesday to explain allegations that Britain had been using its embassy to carry out covert electronic surveillance on the chancellor's government.



Tomorrow, the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is to question MI5 director general Andrew Parker, MI6 chief Sir John Sawers and GCHQ director Sir Iain Lobban in its first open evidence session.



Tomorrow, the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is to question MI5 director general Andrew Parker, right, and left, GCHQ director Sir Iain Lobban in its first open evidence session



