Have published 1 per cent of Snowden leak: The Guardian

Rusbridger said the leak amounted to about 58,000 files and the newspaper had published about 1 per cent of the total. I would not expect us to be publishing a huge amount more, he said.

Government and intelligence officials have said the leaks compromised British security and aided terrorists. Britains top three spy chiefs said last month that al-Qaida and other terror groups were rubbing their hands in glee in the wake of Snowdens leaks.

Several lawmakers have said the Guardian should be prosecuted for breaching terrorism laws.

Rusbridger defended the newspapers role,saying stories published by the Guardian and others had prompted debate about the extent of intelligence activities and exposed the limits of regulatory laws drawn up in the pre-Internet era.