Snowden Edward (Edward Snowden)

Biography

2013-2014: Publicizing illegal surveillance programs by US and British intelligence agencies

Edward Snowden worked as an employee of the US National Security Agency.

In June 2013, he handed over to the Washington Post and Guardian newspapers classified materials about surveillance programs of the US and UK intelligence services on the Internet. Publications on this topic caused a wide resonance. At home, he was charged in absentia with espionage and kidnapping of state property.

Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum for a year, subject to the termination of activities against the United States. On August 1, 2014, Snowden received a three-year residence permit.

2016: Hope for a pardon before the US presidential election

In September 2016, a report by the House Intelligence Committee was published USA on Edward Snowden's work at the NSA. Snowden revealed the country's military and defense secrets, which are unrelated to the personal lives of U.S. citizens, causing significant damage to the state, the report said. Snowden denied this information, as well as the fact that he forged the performance indicators of his work in the NSA. Two days ago, the ex-intelligence officer announced that he was applying for a pardon from US President Barack Obama, since he had acted although illegal, but correctly from a moral and ethical point of view. Obama did not respond to Snowden's applications for clemency, saying only that in case of damage to security states , he must respond according to the law.  

Edward Snowden criticized the report of the House of Representatives of Congress concerning its activities. In his opinion, the published results belittle Congress, and after two years of investigation, he expected to see more. Snowden feels the situation perfectly and understands that right now he can be useful for Democrats, which means a real chance for him to pardon.

As the chief researcher at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, American historian Alexander Petrov, said in an interview with the FBA Economics Today journalist, the situation with Snowden is quite difficult:

the one hand, he's kind of a hero in the media. The information that is going on now about Snowden is quite popular. Films are being made about him. One of the latter is the film "Jameson Bourne." In the picture, although allegorically, the idea of ​ ​ declassifying information and making it public is promoted. True, the hero of the film does not go for it. But he comes very close to it. The main idea of ​ ​ the picture is that sometimes you need to make certain information public so that the world eventually becomes better. The hero hesitates, but does not go for it. He remains a patriot, although he understands the depravity of the system. The idea of ​ ​ making certain information public is quite popular now, including in Hollywood. We are discussing the issue, and it has already gone beyond the narrow audience^[1].

According to Alexander Petrov, Obama may well pardon Snowden on the eve of his departure from the presidency, if it can bring additional points to the piggy bank of the Democratic Party on the eve of the US presidential election.

It's not a fact that Obama will leave and pay no attention to Snowden. Now each of the steps of the Democratic Party is carefully calculated. And if this miscalculation shows that Snowden can bring some points to the Democrats' piggy bank if he can be pardoned, then this will happen. And not even so much pardons as giving Snowden's case such an angle in which there will be no emphasis on the damage he has caused to US interests.

After all, this is an indicative case, and case law is valid in America. If he has not done much damage to safety, he can return, we accept him. It's a demonstration of liberalism and democracy. A demonstration of what a democratic party can do for the victory of democracy.

After all, US presidential candidate Donald Trump also, one way or another, concerned this case. And so he made it clear enough that if the damage is done, a person must answer here, and no other options are given. And Democrats still have this opportunity. Therefore, I do not exclude the possibility that the current president will either make a statement on this issue or take a step. It is no coincidence that Snowden is now turning to the US authorities. He, being a smart person, is very aware that now he has a real chance of a pardon.

2019: Warning officials against using WhatsApp and Telegram

On September 16, 2019, Edward Snowden warned senior officials against using WhatsApp and Telegram. According to a former employee of the National Security Agency (NSA), these messengers are unsafe.

Any of these programs are better than SMS or a phone without a coding system, but if you are Prime Minister, then using these systems is very risky. If anyone in the government uses WhatsApp, this is a mistake, "he said in an interview with French radio station France Inter.

Edward Snowden warned senior officials against using WhatsApp and Telegram

Snowden made such a comment after the correspondent said that French President Emmanuel Macron uses Telegram to communicate with employees, and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe communicates with ministers on WhatsApp.

Snowden recalled that WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, which "layer by layer removes various levels of protection since becoming the owner of the company."

They say "no, no, we're not listening to conversations because they're coded, at least for now..." At the same time, they are trying to eavesdrop on these conversations for reasons of national security, "Snowden said.

He recommended using the Signal and Wire apps, as "they use better encryption and are not owned by Facebook." Signal and Wire are free, as are WhatsApp and Telegram, but more secure. According to the expert, WhatsApp and Telegram can be used only if there are no other alternatives, but these programs have never been used for the safety of society.

Edward Snowden also admitted to asking Emmanuel Macron for asylum in France. Also, a former employee of the American special services spoke about life in, To Moscow declared beauty Russia and noted that every time he goes outside, he tries to slightly change his appearance.^[2]

2020

Russian authorities granted Snowden an indefinite residence permit

Former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency and the US National Security Agency Edward Snowden received an indefinite residence permit in Russia in October 2020. This was announced by his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena to Interfax.

As Kucherena noted, the procedure for extending the residence permit was delayed due to the coronavirus infection pandemic (COVID-19), but "now the answer has been received."

The birth of a son

At the end of December 2020, a former employee of the US National Security Agency (NSA) Edward Snowden and his wife Lindsay Mills had a son. Earlier, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told Snowden that a child would be born at the end of December. He noted that the boy will receive Russian citizenship.

In November, Snowden, 37, revealed that he and his wife had applied for Russian citizenship to keep his family together after the baby was born.

Edward Snowden and his wife Lindsay Mills became the boy's parents

After many years of separation from our parents, my wife and I do not want to part with our son, "Snowden wrote. - That is why in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we apply for dual citizenship of the United States and Russia.

He continued:

Lindsay and I remain American and intend to raise our son with all the values of America we love, including the freedom to speak our minds. I look forward to the day I can return to the States so the whole family can reunite. Most of all, we want our son to feel at home wherever he has to live.

The pair have already been granted permanent residency in Russia, though Republican lawmakers are pushing for Snowden to be included on the presidential pardons list. Senator Rand Paul and Representative Matt Gaetz appealed to President Donald Trump to pardon Snowden on the grounds that he was "unfairly persecuted," Politico reported.^[3]

2022

Obtaining Russian citizenship

In September 2022, Edward Snowden received Russian citizenship.

Obtaining a Russian passport

Former employee CIA National Security Agencies (NSA) of the United States and Edward Snowden received a Russian passport on December 2, 2022. This was announced by his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena.

Yes, I got my passport. He took the oath, - he said in response to questions from the TASS agency.

Edward Snowden

After his citizenship, Snowden said it would give his family stability after ten years of exile. According to the lawyer, his wife is only applying for Russian citizenship. Kucherena added that Snowden is "doing well."

At the end of September 2022, Snowden received Russian citizenship, according to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 26.09.2022 No. 673 "On admission to Russian citizenship and withdrawal from Russian citizenship."

After so many years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be apart from our sons. After two years of waiting and almost ten years of exile, a little stability will benefit my family, "Snowden wrote on his Twitter blog.

The fact that he plans to obtain Russian citizenship became known in early November 2020 - a former US intelligence officer announced this on his Twitter. Then he noted that he and his wife plan to obtain Russian citizenship as the second, but at the same time stressed that they remain Americans and will raise their child "in the spirit of American values ​ ​" that they love, including freedom to express their opinion.

In September 2022, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Snowden should return to the States and stand trial. According to him, despite the fact that Snowden previously publicly renounced American citizenship, Washington still considers him a citizen of the United States. Also, the representative of the State Department announced the assumption that in connection with obtaining Russian citizenship, he can now be mobilized.^[4]

Notes