Russia granted Edward Snowden the right of permanent residence

Russia granted Edward Snowden the right of permanent residence

Russia has granted American informant Edward Snowden the right of permanent residence, his lawyer said on Thursday. This is a big step towards Russian citizenship if Snowden wants to get it.

Snowden, 37, fled the United States and took asylum in Russia after leaking classified files in 2013 revealing extensive domestic and international surveillance operations conducted by the US National Security Agency, where he was a contractor.

The US government has pushed for Snowden to return to the United States for years. He is due to appear before a criminal court on espionage charges brought in 2013.

“His (Russian) residence permit was expiring and we asked for an extension,” Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden's Russian lawyer, told Reuters.

Kucherena added that the coronavirus pandemic made the process take longer than usual.

“We applied in April and were granted permanent residency (Thursday),” he said.

Separately, Kucherena told TASS that Snowden at this stage did not consider the possibility of applying for a Russian passport.

In August, US President Donald Trump said he was considering pardoning Snowden.

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