November 04, 2020

Edward Snowden applies for Russian citizenship

topic:	Human Rights
located:	Russia, USA
editor:	Igor Serebryany

“I don't want to live in a world where everything I say, everything I do, everyone I talk to, every expression of creativity and love or friendship is recorded,” said Edward Snowdwn. The former NSA whistleblower may add a Russian citizenship to his US one if his application is approved by the local authorities.

The US citizens, Snowden and his wife Lindsay applied for a Russian passport on November 2, seven years into Edward's residence in this country.

"After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our son. That's why, in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we're applying for dual US-Russian citizenship," he wrote on Twitter.

Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena confirmed that his client launched a legal process for the citizenship application.

According to Russian law, Snowden's soon-to-arrive child will automatically be considered a Russian national due to birth on the country's soil. The couple stress they remain loyal US citizens and will raise their son "under the Americal values."

Russia has a moral obligation to grant its passport to Edward Snowden because the US legal system would highly unlikely pardon him, an expert on US affairs Maxim Suchkov believes.

"Snowden's move can be a sign of desperation. If President Donald Trump loses the elections (due on Tuesday, November 3), the chance for pardoning Snowden becomes slim. With a Russian passport in his hands, Snowden will obtain full rights of a Russian citizen and could cease living in hideouts," he assumes.

Following his arrival to Russia, the former NSA agent lives in undisclosed locations, presumably in the Moscow region, because his residence permits were issued by that region's migration service. His whereabouts have not been disclosed because Snowden fears for his safety and life, Suchkov notes.

Russian Constitution bans extradition of Russia's nationals to other countries. Still, the expert adds that a Russian passport cannot guarantee Snowden's safety if he leaves the country because of the US international arrest warrant.

If Russia approves Snowden's passport application, it would protect his basic human rights, which have been "violated by the United States," a historian and political expert Vladimir Shapovalov stresses.

"Snowden's case is an example of the double standards applied by the US authorities. Russia effectively protects his rights for freedom of information, one of democracy's basic rights. Stunningly, Snowden has been prosecuted for that right by the country that positions itself as a citadel of freedom of speech," he says.

Shapovalov believes that Snowden is a "champion of the human rights movement" and "a vocal advocate of freedom of expression. He deserves not only a Russian passport but he should be officially recognised as a leading human rights defender. Snowden proved that he fights against state-approved lawlessness," the historian says, adding that Russia must support a whistleblower to prove its own adherence to the human rights cause.

For Moscow, it would be reasonable to approve Snowden's citizenship application, director of the Institute of the Globalization Problems Mikhail Delyagin echoes.

"That'll be the absolutely right decision. Mr Snowden is a qualified expert so he won't be a burden for the Russian public funds. That man lends Russia tremendous assistance in international affairs. He preferred us to the Chinese. This is a rational choice. Why could Russia turn down his application while granting its citizenship to Vladimir Yanukovich (Ukrainian ex-president who escaped to Russia during the 'Orange revolution' in February 2014) who deserves it way less?" he says.

Snowden, who was stuck in a transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on his way from Hong Kong to New York in 2013, has been wanted by the US authorities on high treason charges for disclosing classified information to The Guardian and The Washington Post. He faces 10 years in prison if convicted.

Snowden applied for refugee status in 2013 and has since been living in Russia on temporal residence permits. In October, his temporal resident permit was upgraded to the permanent status.

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