Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor and the whistleblower has revealed to be applying for dual US-Russian citizenship. This comes after a week of announcing that he and his wife are expecting their first child. He reasoned this decision as to their child when born, shouldn’t have the same fate as he’s experiencing now.
Snowden to Apply for US-Russian Citizenship
Edward Snowden is an infamous name in the space of privacy. He was charged with espionage act by the US government for leaking confidential data but was applauded by citizens for surfacing the illegal mass surveillance on them. Now, after seven years in exile, his Russian lawyer has recently announced that he was granted a permanent residency permit by the Russian government.
This news is soon followed by the Snowden’s revelation about their first child, as his wife Lindsay Mills is pregnant. Now, he announced that he’s applying for dual US-Russian citizenship via Twitter. He wrote, “After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our son. That’s why, in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we’re applying for dual US-Russian citizenship.”
After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our son. That's why, in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we're applying for dual US-Russian citizenship. https://t.co/cCgT0rr37e
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) November 1, 2020
Further, “Lindsay and I will remain Americans, raising our son with all the values of 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. Our greatest wish is that, wherever our son lives, he feels at home.”
He was once termed as a “traitor” by President Donald Trump, and also referred that he should be given a fair chance to prove himself. He’s now 37 years old and could be convicted for 30-year imprisonment if proved guilty. Since living in Russia for years, Snowden has appeared on many talk-shows through online means and is waiting to return to the US.
