Putin Grants Russian Citizenship to U.S. Whistleblower Snowden
Yesterday, President Vladimir Putin granted Russian citizenship to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. This is nine years after he exposed the scale of secret surveillance operations by the National Security Agency (NSA). While this move may be a political ploy by Putin, it makes you wonder why the United States has not pardoned Snowden yet.
Does this mean Russia offer more freedom than the USA?
The Origin of Edward Snowden’s Story
In 2013, Edward Snowden was working as an NSA contractor when he came across evidence of large-scale government surveillance of American citizens. He leaked this information to The Guardian, which published a series of stories based on his findings. These stories revealed that the NSA was collecting the telephone records of millions of Americans and had tapped into the servers of major companies like Google and Facebook to collect data on foreign nationals.
Snowden subsequently fled to Hong Kong and then to Russia, where he has lived in exile ever since. He has been charged with espionage by the United States government and faces up to 30 years in prison if he ever sets foot on American soil again.
Why Putin Granted Snowden Citizenship Now
While it’s impossible to know why Putin decided to grant Snowden citizenship now, he likely sees it as a way to score political points against the United States. By doing so, Putin can portray himself as a champion of free speech and civil liberties while simultaneously casting the United States as a country that persecutes whistleblowers and tramples on the rights of its citizens.
Whether or not you believe that Edward Snowden is a hero or a traitor, there’s no denying that he played a significant role in sparking a nationwide debate about government surveillance. Nine years after he first exposed the NSA’s spying program, he has finally been granted citizenship by another country. It will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming months and years.