According to the reports from the state-run news agency TASS on Monday. Former NASA contractor and famous whistle-blower – Edward Snowden – has been granted Russian citizenship by Russian President Vladimir. Snowden’s name was included on a list of 71 other foreigners who have also been granted citizenship.
Snowden applied for Russian citizenship alongside his wife in 2020 after receiving permanent residency. He cited a desire to not be separated from his sons. He tweeted on Monday “After two years of waiting and nearly ten years of exile, a little stability will make a difference for my family. I pray for privacy for them—and for us all.”
Snowden has been living in exile in Russia’s capital city, Moscow for years after exposing classified files containing information that revealed the National Security Agency (NSA)’s vast surveillance operations affecting millions of Americans in 2013. Snowden has been charged with espionage and faces over 30 years behind bars.
According to Snowden’s lawyer – Anatoliy Kucherena, the whistleblower is not eligible for conscription into the war against Ukraine because he didn’t serve in the Russian army. Former U.S. President Donald Trump did not include Edward Snowden in the list of pardoned individuals at the end of his tenure. Trump called for Snowden’s execution years ago but later claimed that he would look into Snowden’s pardon.
Edward Snowden has previously openly expressed his support for Bitcoin but also noted that the cryptocurrency has critical privacy issues that need to be sorted out before it should be given full financial status. He was personally involved in the creation of the privacy coin Zcash and he is a very vocal opponent of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
The Russian government has also shown interest in Bitcoin as a means of international trade but has banned cryptocurrencies from domestic use as a means of exchange. It remains to be seen whether the economic sanctions that have been imposed on Russia due to their war effort against Ukraine will change the government’s stance on Russia’s domestic cryptocurrency use.
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