The US whistleblower may stay in Russia permanently. The Kremlin approved Snowden’s application along with 71 others.
Edward Snowden is a dual citizen. The American now also has citizenship of the Russian Federation. The responsible body, the Kremlin’s Citizenship Commission, has approved 72 applications for citizenship, including that of Edward Snowden.
He only indirectly confirms that his exile is now better secured: “After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no wish to separate from our sons,” writes Snowden on Twitter, “After two years of waiting and almost ten years of exile, “A little stability will make a difference to my family. I pray for privacy for them – and for all of us.”
The NSA whistleblower applied for citizenship in 2020. In that year, the Russian Federation generally allowed dual citizenship; new citizens no longer have to forgo foreign citizenship. This was important to Snowden and his wife because they expressly wish to remain US citizens and one day return to their homeland.
Germany didn’t help
Snowden has been in exile in Russia since 2013. At that time, Snowden made public illegal espionage by the US secret service NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ. According to his own statements, he wanted to flee via Hong Kong to Ecuador, but was stranded at Moscow airport when the US government illegally canceled his passport. EU countries, including Germany, rejected Snowden’s asylum application.
The American got asylum in Russia, then permanent residency, and now Federation citizenship. Prerequisites included knowledge of Russian and sufficient, legal income. Snowden keeps a low profile on Russian politics.
Snowden’s merit
In addition to PRISM, Snowden uncovered a number of other NSA surveillance programs in 2013. One of these concerned the collection of all telephone data from all US lines without cause. Who called when, where, with whom and which device was stored for years and fed into databases. Back in 2015, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that US phone tapping was illegal because it violated Subpart IV of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In 2020, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found the phone tapping also unconstitutional.
Nevertheless, Snowden is still accused of espionage and theft of state property in the USA, which is why he cannot return to his homeland. And due to a breach of contractual confidentiality, the US government is entitled to all proceeds from Edward Snowden’s biography “Permanent Record”. Snowden’s wife and their two sons will apparently have to wait a little longer for the decision on their applications for citizenship of the Russian Federation.
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