Vladimir Putin has granted Edward Snowden Russian citizenship

Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted full citizenship to US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Mr Putin signed a decree today after the 39-year-old had been living in the country under asylum since 2013 - he was named among 74 other foreign nationals granted citizenship. In 2014, he received a three-year residence permit allowing him to travel in Russia and abroad.

In October 2020, he was granted permanent residency in the country. Snowden fled the United States after leaking secret files from the National Security Agency (NSA) which revealed vast domestic and international surveillance operations, essentially violating the Espionage Act of 1917. U.S. authorities have been urging Snowden to return to the country for years so he could face a criminal trial.

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Further adding to the controversy surrounding Snowden, the U.S. federal court ruled in September 2020 that the mass surveillance program exposed by Snowden was potentially unconstitutional and illegal. Snowden previously applied for Russian citizenship two years ago to avoid being separated from his son who was born in Russia during the pandemic.

Snowden currently lives in Russia with his wife, Lindsay Mills.

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