Putin grants Russian citizenship to whistleblower Edward Snowden

WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin granted citizenship on Monday to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

Snowden’s title seems as one among roughly 70 overseas nationals listed in a decree and permitted by Putin for Russian citizenship.

The previous NSA intelligence officer turned U.S. authorities whistleblower, fled to Hong Kong and later to Russia in to evade federal prosecution after leaking labeled paperwork to journalists. He was granted asylum in Russia in 2013 and later everlasting residency. Snowden, 39, has remained in Russia ever since.

Putin’s choice to grant Snowden citizenship comes simply days after ordering roughly 300,000 folks to hitch the combat in Ukraine.

The next information experiences from greater than 7,000 labeled paperwork revealed the inside workings of a colossal U.S. authorities surveillance operation. Intelligence officers have beforehand mentioned that Snowden might have taken 1.7 million labeled recordsdata.

Tales printed in The Guardian and The Washington Put up uncovered an enormous government-run spy program that monitored communications of criminals, potential terrorists and law-abiding residents alike. Different accounts documented how Washington additionally secretly monitored a few of America’s closest allies, like then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Snowden was charged with theft of U.S. authorities property, unauthorized communication of nationwide protection info and willful communication of labeled communications intelligence. The fees carry a jail sentence of as much as 30 years.

State Division spokesperson Ned Value mentioned that Washington’s place on the previous U.S. intelligence contractor has not modified. He added that he was not conscious of any change to Snowden’s American citizenship standing.