Edward Snowden finds a job in Russia, calls to drop charges are voiced
Former National Security Agency (NSA) and whistleblower Edward Snowden has lined up a job with an unnamed wbsite in his temporary home of Russia, according to a The Guardian report Thursday.
Image/PCJF
Just months after being granted temporary asylum, the 30-year-old will be providing support to a large Russian site, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said on Thursday.
The British paper reports, “Pavel Durov, the founder of Russia’s leading social network Vkontakte, has extended an invitation to Snowden to work at the company, but earlier this week said the American had not replied to his offer. A spokesperson for Vkontakte yesterday refused to comment on whether Snowden has now taken up a job at the company, which is headquartered in St Petersburg.”
In addition, the NSA whistleblower is interested in testifying in a German inquiry into U.S. spying, The Washington Post reports.
And German politicians are interested in hearing what Snowden has to say.
In a letter that has been passed on to the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, the former NSA employee said he hoped he would “be able to co-operate in the responsible finding of fact regarding reports in the media, particularly in regard to the truth and authenticity of documents”, The Guardian reports.
This comes after it was revealed that the NSA had been monitoring German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone for more than a decade.
Back in the United States, public interest legal organization, The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) sent a letter to President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday urging them to withdraw the charge of espionage and all other criminal charges against Edward Snowden and to grant him immunity from prosecution for his whistle-blowing and disclosure activities.
The PCJF states, “Mr. Snowden should be allowed to return home without threat, and to testify to the United States Congress and to the people of the United States as to the programs and operations that threaten the very fabric of our cherished civil liberties.
“This is the opportunity for the United States to take a stand in defense of the Bill of Rights, to correct misdirection, and to pave a path for the future of our country that can stand in allegiance to free speech, to freedom and to democracy.”
They also urge Americans to voice their opinion about Mr. Snowden and to urge the government to drop the charges against Snowden.
Individuals can easily send the “Drop the charges on Ed Snowden!” message to Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder by sending the following message via the above link:
I demand that the Department of Justice and the Obama Administration withdraw charges against Edward J. Snowden and he be granted immunity from prosecution for his actions related to whistleblowing and disclosure activities.
These disclosures have led to a critical debate within the country, and are bringing about change necessary to maintain democratic freedoms. The people of the United States, and democracy itself, would be better served by allowing Mr. Snowden to return home without threat, and to testify to the United States Congress and to the people of the United States as to the programs and operations that threaten the very fabric of our cherished civil liberties.
