Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted former NSA contractor Edward Snowden Russian citizenship, in keeping with an official decree printed on the Russian authorities portal Monday.
Snowden is accused of espionage and theft of presidency property within the US for leaking troves of knowledge on American intelligence and mass surveillance applications to the media.
The 39-year-old has been dwelling in exile in Moscow after initially travelling to Hong Kong following his 2013 public disclosure of the categorized data. He's going through as much as 30 years in jail within the US.
In November 2020 Snowden and his spouse, Lindsay Mills, utilized for Russian citizenship. He had been already given everlasting residency in Russia.
Putin's determination to grant Snowden citizenship comes simply days after the Russian President threatened to escalate his conflict in Ukraine, saying the "partial mobilization" of residents.
In 2016, the US Congress launched a report saying Snowden had been involved with Russian intelligence officers since arriving in Russia. Snowden instantly disputed the accusations, writing on Twitter "they declare with out proof that I am in cahoots with the Russians."
In a tweet on Monday, Snowden wrote: "After years of separation from our mother and father, my spouse and I've no need to be separated from our SONS. After two years of ready and almost ten years of exile, a little bit stability will make a distinction for my household. I pray for privateness for them - and for us all."
Snowden wouldn't be topic to the "partial mobilisation" introduced by Putin since he didn't serve within the Russian military, in keeping with his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, as quoted by Russian state media RIA Novosti on Monday.
"Now the partner will obtain citizenship after he has obtained it. Now the partner will apply," Kucherena instructed RIA Novosti referring to Snowden's spouse, Mills.
In response to the lawyer, Snowden has a toddler who was born within the Russian Federation and obtained Russian citizenship at delivery.
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