Former NSA contractor and well-known whistle-blower Edward Snowden was granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir, as reported by the state-run information company TASS on Monday.
His title was included on a listing of 71 different foreigners who additionally grew to become residents.
- Snowden applied for citizenship alongside his spouse in 2020 after receiving everlasting residency rights, citing a want to not be separated from his sons.
“After two years of ready and practically ten years of exile, a little bit stability will make a distinction for my household,” he tweeted on Monday. “I pray for privateness for them—and for us all.”
- Snowden has been residing in exile in Moscow for years after exposing categorized information revealing the Nationwide Safety Company (NSA)’s huge surveillance operations affecting thousands and thousands of People in 2013. He has been charged with espionage and faces over 30 years in jail.
- In keeping with Snowden’s lawyer Anatoliy Kucherena, the whistleblower remains to be not eligible for conscription into the struggle in opposition to Ukraine since he has not served within the Russian military.
- Snowden has beforehand expressed assist for Bitcoin, but additionally famous that the cryptocurrency has essential privateness points. He was personally concerned with creating the privateness coin Zcash, and is a vocal opponent of Central Financial institution Digital Foreign money (CBDC).
- The Russian authorities has proven curiosity in Bitcoin as a way of worldwide commerce – however has banned cryptocurrencies from home use as a way of trade.
- Former U.S. President Donald Trump didn’t embody Edward Snowden amongst a listing of pardoned people on the finish of his presidency. Trump known as for the contractor’s execution years in the past but additionally claimed later that he’d look into pardoning Snowden.