Edward Snowden (39) is the computer technician who revealed that the US engaged in massive surveillance of telecommunications and data traffic worldwide. For several years Snowden worked in the CIA and on contract for the American intelligence organization National Security Agency (NSA). But in May 2013 it was over. Snowden fled the United States and took with him large amounts of top secret intelligence documents. He shared them with leading media worldwide. The American computer engineer Edward Snowden fled to Russia in 2013. Today he received Russian citizenship. Photo: Uncredited / AP In the documents it emerged that the NSA had carried out illegal wiretapping of several million telephone conversations, both of heads of state and private individuals. After a few weeks in a hotel room in Hong Kong, Snowden went to Russia. In 2020, Snowden said that he had applied to become a Russian citizen, but that at the same time he wanted to keep his American one. Wanted by the USA In his home country, the 39-year-old is accused of espionage. Here he risks up to 30 years in prison, according to CNN. American authorities have for years wanted to have Snowden extradited. In 2019, Snowden spoke about why he decided to report the illegalities. In the book “System error” he wrote that he wanted to prove “that the country’s authorities had developed and implemented a global surveillance system without the citizens’ consent”. US authorities say on Monday that they have not received any information that there is any change in Snowden’s US citizenship. Putin: – No traitor Snowden is one of 75 foreign citizens who were granted Russian citizenship. The decree is signed by President Putin. In 2017, Putin said that it was wrong for Snowden to leak the documents, but that he is not a traitor, writes the Reuters news agency. Snowden is not a traitor, Putin has previously stated. Today he gave the American Russian citizenship. Photo: SPUTNIK / Reuters Snowden’s spouse Lindsay Mills has also applied for Russian citizenship. The couple lives in Moscow and has two small children. Snowden gets Russian citizenship just days after Russia has introduced partial mobilization for the war in Ukraine. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that Snowden will not be summoned because he has not served in the Russian armed forces. This is written by the Russian news agency RIA. Disappointed with Norway In 2015, Snowden received the Bjørnson prize for his efforts for freedom of expression. But Snowden did not take the chance to come to Molde to receive the award. The reason was that he had not received guarantees that he could travel to Norway without being extradited to the USA. Two years earlier, the US had sent a message to Norway to arrest Snowden if he came to the country. The Norwegian authorities said they never responded to the letter. In 2016, Norwegian PEN gave the Ossietzky Prize to Snowden for his efforts for freedom of expression. Norsk PEN tried to get the Norwegian courts to rule that Snowden could not be extradited to the USA if he came to Norway to receive the award, but the case was rejected by the Court of Appeal, Snowden had to receive the award in Moscow instead. He told news that he was disappointed with how the government had handled his case.
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Edward Snowden gets Russian citizenship – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
