Putin grants Russian citizenship to Edward Snowden

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has granted Russian citizenship to Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence analyst wanted by US Justice for leaking to Wikileaks abundant information about the National Security Agency (NSA, for its acronym in English).

The Russian president signed a decree on Monday, collected by the official Government Legal Information portal, in which he grants citizenship to dozens of people, including Snowden, a 39-year-old American.

Putin has thus satisfied the request of the former Intelligence agent, who in November 2020 presented, together with his wife, also American Lindsay Mills, an application to receive Russian citizenship, although she has not yet received the go-ahead from the Kremlin. .

The couple's lawyer, the Russian Anatoli Kucherena, explained in an interview to the Russian agency TASS that Snowden "has completed all the procedures provided for by the legislation" and meets the necessary requirements to receive citizenship.

"For more than five years he has been in Russian territory, he has a residence permit. He had all this," remarked Kucherena, who has assured that his client is happy with the decision adopted by Putin.

Snowden is wanted by the United States Justice after leaking numerous secret documents in 2013 revealing different espionage techniques carried out by the National Security agency, including illegal wiretapping of international political leaders.

Once he fled the United States, his first destination was Hong Kong, although he later ended up in Russia. In 2014, she received a first residence permit that, years later, would be extended indefinitely.

It is true that in May 2014, one of Snowden's lawyers at the time, Wolfgang Kaleck, stated that his client would be willing to return to US soil "under certain conditions", and acknowledged that there were "negotiations" underway. to this end.