The US whistleblower Edward Snowden and his wife are looking for Russian nationality in order to not stay disconnected from their future son in an era of coronavirus pandemic.
According to RIA news agency cited his Russian lawmaker Anatoly Kucherena Edward Snowden’s wife Lindsay is expecting a child at the end of December.
Read more: Wuhan doctor at whistleblower’s hospital dies from coronavirus
Edward Snowden fled the United States to Russia to take asylum after leaking secret files in 2013 which exposed the workflow of the US based National Security Agency (NSA). The files revealed the NSA’s massive domestic and international surveillance operations carried by the US National Security Agency where Edward Snowden was a service provider.
The United States authorities have demanded Russians for years to return Edward Snowden to face the criminal trial on espionage charges carried in 2013.
“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 wrote on Twitter.
“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.
Our greatest wish is that, wherever our son lives, he feels at home.”
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.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) November 1, 2020
Meanwhile, the Russian authorities have also approved Edward Snowden permanent residency rights. The lawmaker of Snowden claimed that it’s a key step towards Russian citizenship.
US President Donald Trump in August revealed that he is considering a pardon for Snowden.
Edward Snowden is currently living in Russia while maintaining a low profile. From time to time he has praised Russia’s natural beauty and the friendly behavior of its people. Apart from that he also uses the social media platform to criticize government policies.
