Edward Snowden will apply for Russian citizenship

Edward Snowden is a former outsourcing employee of the CIA. He was persecuted by the United States for exposing the CIA’s global large-scale surveillance program.

Snowden has stayed in Russia to obtain safe asylum all these years until Snowden obtained permanent residency in Russia last year without having to apply for an extension of asylum regularly.

It is currently impossible for Snowden to return to his hometown in the United States. The United States still wants to arrest Snowden for leaking classified information and treason, but now Snowden’s lawyers have revealed that Snowden will apply for Russian citizenship.

At first, Edward Snowden entered Russia as a refugee to obtain asylum, and then the Russian authorities approved Snowden’s three-year residency and permanent residency.

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Now Snowden has decided to keep his US citizenship and apply for Russian citizenship. If approved by the Russian authorities, Russia will provide various protections.

This means that if the U.S. wants to continue to arrest Snowden and bring it back to the U.S. for trial, it must at least expressly obtain the consent of Russia, otherwise, it will not be able to unilaterally enforce the law.

It is worth noting that the official attitude of the United States towards Snowden has always been tough. As early as the Obama era, people called for the pardon of Snowden but did not respond.

Via: washingtonpost