Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday granted full Russian citizenship to Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who leaked information about the agency’s widespread domestic surveillance operations under the Obama administration.
Snowden, 39, fled the United States to Russia in 2013 after he posted secret files that revealed the NSA’s operations. U.S. authorities have for years sought to bring Snowden back and arrest him on espionage charges.
A presidential decree issued by Putin shows Snowden is one of about 75 foreign nationals who were granted Russian citizenship, reported Russian state-run media. The decree was also published on a Russian government website….