After Nearly a Decade in Exile, Snowden Granted Russian Citizenship
American whistleblower Edward Snowden was among 72 foreign-born individuals granted Russian citizenship on Monday in a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, just over seven months into Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Snowden—who exposed the mass surveillance practices of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA)—has lived in Russia since the summer of 2013, when the United States revoked his passport while he was attempting to travel from Hong Kong to Ecuador.
Shortly after Russia granted him permanent residency rights, Snowden announced in November 2020 that he and his wife, Lindsay Mills—who gave birth to their first son that year, and a second son earlier this year—were seeking dual citizenship.
“After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our son,” Snowden explained. “That’s why, in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we’re applying for dual U.S.-Russian citizenship.”
“Lindsay and I will remain Americans, raising our son with all the values of the America we love—including the freedom to speak his mind. And I look forward to the day I can return to the states, so the whole family can be reunited,” he added. “Our greatest wish is that, wherever our son lives, he feels at home.”
In a tweet noting that statement and sharing a family photo, the 39-year-old said Monday that “after years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our SONS. After two years of waiting and nearly 10 years of exile, a little stability will make a difference for my family. I pray for privacy for them—and for us all.”
Snowden attorney Anatoly Kucherena told Russian state-owned RIA Novosti on Monday that Mills is seeking citizenship. The lawyer also said that Snowden will not be forced to participate in the recently announced “partial mobilization” to send troops to Ukraine, as he has not served in Russia’s army.
Not long before Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Snowden accused the global news media of “pushing for war.” Since the invasion, he has faced some criticism for his lack of comment on the conflict.
Snowden—who potentially faces decades in U.S. prison for theft and Espionage Act charges—has previously said that he would return to the United States if he believed he would receive a fair trial.
A federal appeals court ruled two years ago that the NSA’s warrantless surveillance of U.S. phone records—which Snowden exposed—was illegal. Snowden has continued to criticize years of impunity for the agency’s violation of Americans’ civil liberties.
Originally published at Commondreams.org.