Lon Snowden, father of NSA-leaker Edward Snowden, has received a Russian visa and will visit his son “very soon,” according to his lawyer.
Mr. Snowden reportedly wants his son to return home, if the U.S. justice system will be applied “correctly,” according to the BBC. He said his son had “spoken the truth” and made significant sacrifices.
“What I would like is for this to be vetted in open court, for the American people to have all the facts,” Mr. Snowden said, according to the New York Times.
When asked about the possibility of a plea deal, he answered, “I’m not open to it, and that’s what I’ll share with my son.”
Snowden has been charged with theft, “unauthorized communication of national defense information” and willfully disclosing classified communications intelligence “to an unauthorized person,” the latter two of which were brought under the Espionage Act of 1917.
“At this point, when you consider many of the statements made by our leaders...they are absolutely irresponsible,” Mr. Snowden said. “They have poisoned the well, so to speak, in terms of a potential jury pool.”
“We intend to visit with Edward and suggest criminal defense attorneys who’ve got experience in Espionage Act prosecutions,” said the family’s attorney, Bruce Fein, a well-known D.C. lawyer specializing in constitutional and international law.
Image: WikiCommons
