According to Russian media reports, on November 1, local time, Edward Snowden, a former employee of the CENTRAL Intelligence Agency, announced his decision to apply for Russian citizenship.
Snowden said on social media: "After years of separation from our parents, neither my wife nor I wanted to be separated from our children. Therefore, in this period of spreading the epidemic and the closure of borders, we are applying for dual citizenship between the United States and Russia. ”
Snowden added: "Lindsay (wife) and I are still U.S. citizens, educating our children with all the American values we love, including freedom of speech. I look forward to the day when I can return to the United States and reunite our family. Our greatest desire is that no matter where our son lives, he will feel at home. ”
Snowden's lawyer, Kucheleena, said on October 29 that Snowden and his wife Lindsay Mills currently live in Russia, the family life is very happy, the two will usher in a newborn, the child's due date is the end of 2020, but the sex of the fetus is still unknown. At the same time, Kuchelena stressed that Snowden's children will acquire Russian citizenship after birth.
The news provoked a lot of criticism, and some people demanded that the United States arrest Snowden for "treason."
Snowden's Russian residency permit was reportedly scheduled to expire on April 30, 2020, but was automatically extended to June 15 during the coronavirus pandemic. After the end of the lockdown, Snowden submitted an application to extend his stay. On October 22, Kuchelena said Russia had granted Snowden permanent residency.
In 2013, Snowden exposed through the media that the US government extensively listened to domestic and foreign telephone calls and monitored Internet communications, causing an uproar in the international community and triggering the "Prism Gate" incident. The U.S. government subsequently wanted Snowden on charges of espionage, theft, and unauthorized disclosure of defense and intelligence information. Snowden was then granted asylum and lived in Russia for many years.
In 2019, Snowden published his autobiography, The Permanent Record. In an interview with U.S. media at the time, he said that returning to the United States was his ultimate goal, but he did not seek pardon, but only a fair trial.
Proofreader: Zeng Huiwen