Former CIA analyst Edward Snowden, who was granted Russian citizenship by Russian President Vladimir Putin last September, received his passport or national identity card on Thursday, his lawyer, Anatoli Kucherena, reported today.
“Edward received the passport of a Russian citizen yesterday and took an oath as stipulated by law,” the lawyer told the Interfax agency.
He added that his client is happy and grateful to Russia for his new citizenship. “But the most important thing is that in accordance with the Russian Constitution now he cannot be extradited to another country,” Kucherena stressed.
Snowden, 39, who received political asylum in Russia in 2013 and in November 2020 applied for Russian citizenship, has not made any comments alluding to the Russian military campaign in Ukraine that began last February.
The new Russian citizen, who received a permanent residence permit in October 2020, had his first child with his wife, Lindsay Mills, in December of that year. According to Russian law, by being born in Russia the child automatically obtained Russian citizenship.
The former Central Intelligence Agency analyst fled the US after revealing details of US spy programs in 2013 and has been persecuted ever since by his country’s courts, which have accused him of violating espionage law.
He took refuge in Russia, where he was joined the following year by Lindsay, whom he married in 2017. In addition to writing books, Snowden consults and videoconferences globally on information technology, its risks and threats.
