Edward Snowden Allowed to Stay in Russia for a Couple More Years, Has Right to Become Russian Citizen

by Amna El Tawil
Edward Snowden, a whistleblower who disclosed the extent of NSA’s surveillance, can stay in Russia for a few more years, it has been revealed.
 
According to The Guardian, an official confirmed that Russia extended Snowden’s stay in the country. The NSA contractor will get to spend two more years in Russia and won’t be extradited to the United States even if the relationship between the two countries improve now that Mr. Trump moves into the White House.
 
A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, wrote on her Facebook account a post confirming the news as a response to a suggestion from Michael Morell, the former acting CIA director, that Vladimir Putin might hand over Snowden to the US, despite there being no extradition treaty between the two countries.
 
Morell posted a column for The Cipher Brief website writing: “The best way for President Putin to take advantage of the opportunity would be to continue to build the personal tie that the two men have boasted via public accolades.  What better way for President Putin to cement the personal tie than to give the President-Elect a high-profile gift — Snowden.  At the same time, what better way for President Putin to poke his finger in the eye of his adversary Barack Obama than to put Snowden on a plane at the very moment Mr. Obama is no longer president?… Why would Snowden be such a gift to President-Elect Trump?  Multiple reasons.  Most important among them, it would allow the soon-to-be President to publicly demonstrate, with reason, that his relationship with Putin and his new approach to Russia are paying dividends.  It would similarly allow the President-Elect to show that he, in very short order, could accomplish something that President Obama and the traditional national security establishment could not.  Finally, seeing Snowden arrive in the U.S. and placed in handcuffs would go far in healing the wounds that exist between President-Elect Trump and his Intelligence Community.  The IC, more than anyone else, wants Snowden brought to justice.”
 
Zakharova took to her Facebook profile to reply: “On former
 
As the media reports, former deputy head of the CIA, Michael Morell said that the president of Russia, there is a “great opportunity” to make a gift to the president-elect Donald Trump to the inauguration of the United States by a former employee of American intelligence agencies Edward Snowden.
 
Some strange these “former” they’ve got. The British “EX” dug up at the American President, some kind of bullshit. American is not the first time that indicates the extremely hate speech statements. Not so long ago, it is this very Morell encouraged to kill Russians in Syria. The funny thing is that the former deputy head of the CIA!!! doesn’t know what Snowden just extended the deadline for a residence permit in Russia a few more years.
 
Seriously, though, is the essence of what is offered, it is CIA ideology of betrayal. That’s your pitch, Mr. Morrell, and all it is now clear that, for your law firm, fine things make gifts in the form of people and those who seek protection.
You never understand Russia, Michael Morell.”

The Guardian reports: “The announcement came hours after the outgoing US president, Barack Obama, commuted the sentence of whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Manning, who was serving a 35-year prison term, will go free in May.
 
Snowden has not commented on the apparent extension of his right to stay in Russia but commented on Obama’s decision to free Manning on Tuesday evening on his Twitter account.”
 

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Now that his stay in Russia has been extended, Snowden has right to obtain Russian citizenship, according to his lawyer.

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