NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has decided to stay in Russia longer and is going to renew his one-year citizenship permit, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena announced.
According to Russia Beyond the Headlines, Snowden was granted a year-long asylum from Russia after having several charges brought against him by the U.S. for leaking classified NSA documents. Snowden has contacted the Russian Federal Migration Service in regards to extending his citizenship in Russia, which is set to expire on July 31rst. It is unknown at this time what citizenship status he will seek, as Kucherena says that it is in the hands of the Russian FMS.
Snowden has remained out of sight in Russia; the last time he was seen was on a TV show 3 months ago in which he spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin on surveillance. The U.S. demands that he return to the U.S. and has thus taken his passport, The Wall Street Journal noted.
Russian city Moscow and U.S. city Washington have had shaky relations since Russia has come to Snowden’s aid. Secretary of State John Kerry has also rebuked the actions of Snowden and stated that coming back to the U.S. would be the “patriotic” thing to do. However, if all goes as planned Snowden won’t be coming back to the U.S. anytime soon.