Addis Ababa, September 27, 2022 (FBC) – Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting Russian citizenship to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
Snowden, 39, fled the U.S. and was given asylum in Russia after leaking secret files in 2013 that revealed vast domestic and international surveillance operations carried out by the NSA where he was a contractor.
In 2016, the US Congress released a report saying Snowden had been in contact with Russian intelligence officials since arriving in Russia.
Snowden immediately disputed the accusations, writing on Twitter “they claim without evidence that I’m in cahoots with the Russians.”
“After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our sons. After two years of waiting and nearly ten years of exile, a little stability will make a difference for my family. I pray for privacy for them—and for us all”, Snowden tweeted after receiving the Russian citizenship.
Snowden recalled that he applied for dual US-Russian citizenship in 2020 indicating he had no intention of returning to his country soon.
U.S. authorities have for years wanted Snowden returned to the United States to face a criminal trial on espionage charges.