Edward Snowden Seeks Russian Citizenship
The infamous whistleblower doesn’t want to be separated from his child.
Back in 2013, security expert and at-the-time contractor for the United States’ National Security Agency Edward Snowden leaked a large quantity of information to the American public. This information included reveals on the NSA’s mass surveillance programs, as well as some general rules of conduct on American intelligence. The whole thing sparked off a major wave of distrust in the US government from the US populace, but for Snowden himself, he’s been forced to live in exile from the states in Moscow.
Snowden, along with his wife, Lindsay Mills, currently maintain a permanent residence in Moscow while still holding their American nationalities. Previously, Russian law required all foreigners to renounce other citizenships to get a Russian passport, but in recent years, the Russian government has become more lenient on that front. To this end, Snowden announced that he and his wife will officially be seeking dual citizenship in Russia and the United States. With the announcement last week that Snowden and Mills are expecting their first child soon, they have decided they need the stability of citizenship if they’re going to remain long-term in Russia.
A long time in the making: our greatest collaboration is coming soon. pic.twitter.com/ElI9taxWOS
— Lsjourney (@lsjourneys) October 28, 2020
“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,” Snowden said in a Monday tweet.
“Lindsay and I will remain Americans, raising our son with all the values of the 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,” Snowden said.