Edward Snowden gets Russian citizenship, here's why he won't be called up to fight (for now)
Former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who fled prosecution after leaking highly sensitive National Security Agency (NSA) information in 2013, was granted citizenship on Monday Russian.
Snowden was one of 75 foreigners identified in a decree signed Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring that they had been granted Russian citizenship.
Snowden became a Russian citizen when Putin declared that 300,000 Russians who had completed their conscription would be called upon to mount an offensive in southeastern Ukraine.
Despite his brief military service, Snowden will not be called up because he has never served in the Russian army.
Snowden was granted permanent residency in Russia in 2020 after leaving the United States and said at the time that he intended to apply for Russian citizenship without giving up his citizenship American.
Following Putin's decision to launch what the Kremlin called a "special military operation" in Ukraine, relations between Washington D.C. and Moscow have already hit their lowest point since decades.
See also: Edward Snowden says "We're all going to be billionaires" but...
Supporters of Snowden, 39, saw him as a brave whistleblower who wanted to defend American civil liberties, but US intelligence officials accuse him of endangering personnel American and jeopardize national security.
He currently faces charges in the United States that could land him in jail for decades, but said in 2019 he would be willing to return if he could be assured of a fair trial.
Snowden, who was an NSA employee and contractor, was charged with stealing government property and leaking classified national security and intelligence information Americans. Each of the three offenses carries a potential sentence of 10 years, according to the AP.
In a separate lawsuit, the Justice Department claimed that Snowden had broken his non-disclosure agreements with intelligence agencies and that he should be prevented from profiting from his biography, "Permanent Record".
In a press release issued by the department, he said the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia sided with the United States on the issue of liability and ruled that Snowden breached his contract and fiduciary duties to the CIA and NSA by publishing the book, as well as making prepared remarks "as part of his pre-publication review obligations, but in reserving its judgment on the extent of these violations or the remedies due to the government".
On September 29, 2020, "court granted judgment in favor of the government for more than $5.2 million and imposed a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States on these and any other sums, royalties or other financial benefits derived by Snowden from "Permanent Record" and 56 specific speeches."
Photo: Sorbis via Shutterstock
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who fled prosecution after leaking highly sensitive National Security Agency (NSA) information in 2013, was granted citizenship on Monday Russian.
Snowden was one of 75 foreigners identified in a decree signed Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring that they had been granted Russian citizenship.
Snowden became a Russian citizen when Putin declared that 300,000 Russians who had completed their conscription would be called upon to mount an offensive in southeastern Ukraine.
Despite his brief military service, Snowden will not be called up because he has never served in the Russian army.
Snowden was granted permanent residency in Russia in 2020 after leaving the United States and said at the time that he intended to apply for Russian citizenship without giving up his citizenship American.
Following Putin's decision to launch what the Kremlin called a "special military operation" in Ukraine, relations between Washington D.C. and Moscow have already hit their lowest point since decades.
See also: Edward Snowden says "We're all going to be billionaires" but...
Supporters of Snowden, 39, saw him as a brave whistleblower who wanted to defend American civil liberties, but US intelligence officials accuse him of endangering personnel American and jeopardize national security.
He currently faces charges in the United States that could land him in jail for decades, but said in 2019 he would be willing to return if he could be assured of a fair trial.
Snowden, who was an NSA employee and contractor, was charged with stealing government property and leaking classified national security and intelligence information Americans. Each of the three offenses carries a potential sentence of 10 years, according to the AP.
In a separate lawsuit, the Justice Department claimed that Snowden had broken his non-disclosure agreements with intelligence agencies and that he should be prevented from profiting from his biography, "Permanent Record".
In a press release issued by the department, he said the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia sided with the United States on the issue of liability and ruled that Snowden breached his contract and fiduciary duties to the CIA and NSA by publishing the book, as well as making prepared remarks "as part of his pre-publication review obligations, but in reserving its judgment on the extent of these violations or the remedies due to the government".
On September 29, 2020, "court granted judgment in favor of the government for more than $5.2 million and imposed a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States on these and any other sums, royalties or other financial benefits derived by Snowden from "Permanent Record" and 56 specific speeches."
Photo: Sorbis via Shutterstock
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
What's Your Reaction?
