Edward Snowden Leaving Russia? He’s In No Hurry
Edward Snowden has no plans to leave Russian in the immediate future. While reports have circulated about his asylum approvals and denials, the NSA leaker is believed to be happy in Russia.
Snowden has been holed up in a Moscow airport for weeks, left in a sort of limbo as a man without a country.
According to RT Snowden’s lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, the NSA whistleblower has no plans to leave Russia. In fact, Snowden has submitted a request for temporary asylum in Russia.
Officials in the United States are currently working around the clock to ensure that no country provides Edward Snowden with asylum. The US can use sanctions and other threats to cause a stalemate in Snowden’s requests.
If Edward Snowden does not receive asylum approval in the South American countries where he would like to move he could request Russian citizenship.
Gaining access to Russian citizenship could prove problematic. Originally Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Edward Snowden asylum if he promised to stop releasing top secret US documents. Later Putin said “any activity of [Snowden] that could damage US-Russian relations is unacceptable for us.”
Snowden is allegedly done leaking documents which could help with his Russian asylum request.
In the meantime Kucherena says Edward Snowden’s biggest concern now is that he could be captured by the United States. Under the US Espionage Act Snowden could be sentenced to death.
The United States could offer a guarantee that Snowden would not be charged under the Espionage Act if he agreed to face charge. The chance that the US will wave the act is very unlikely.
In the short term Edward Snowden will continue to live on the transit zone at a Moscow airport.
Regardless of where Snowden ends up his life will probably never resemble the days in which he worked at a cushy $200,000 a year job.
Does anyone else picture this scene when they think about Snowden’s current life inside a Moscow airport:
Do you think Edward Snowden will receive asylum in Russia?
