The CIA and NSA contractor who leaked top-secret information on the US surveillance program, Edward Snowden, could be a Russian citizenship holder in the coming years his lawyer said.
“In the near future, he may formally file a request for Russian citizenship, but only he will decide this for himself,” said Anatoly Kucherena, who represents Snowden’s interests in Russia.
Snowden received his permanent residency in August 2014, and after five years of holding it is eligible to apply for a Russian citizenship.
Snowden is currently working in Russia and is a “law-abiding” resident his lawyer explained. “He lives in Russia, works and travels,” he continued.
When asked if Snowden thinks about returning to the US, Kucherena said: “We always say that of course he is homesick. And certainly, his wish can be understood like that of any other person. However, given the current circumstances and policies by Obama who did not want to go into details on the matter and was held on a leash by US intelligence services – the CIA and the NSA – it is therefore impossible to even speak about getting a fair and unbiased trail,” he said.
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