Human Rights groups in NY, alongside Edward Snowden campaigners have launched a push for a pardon by the United States president.The former contractor for the country’s National Security Agency faces prosecution for stealing classified documents.
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The data included thousands of classified documents revealing the extent of USA surveillance measures put in place after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
“Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing, but that is perhaps why the pardon power exists – for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things, these were vital things”, Snowden said on Monday via a video link.
Whether Snowden receives an outpouring of support in the coming weeks and months remains to be seen, but many believe the battle to secure a pardon from President Obama will be incredibly tough.
Mr. Snowden leaked NSA documents to journalists in 2013 that revealed the US government’s global surveillance capabilities, which ultimately led to reform of the programs following public outcry.
The launch of the presidential pardon campaign comes two days before Oliver Stone’s biopic “Snowden” opens.
The Obama administration has urged Snowden to return to the USA and face trial.
Edward Snowden, the NSA whistle-blower turned state fugitive, is the ideal candidate for an Oliver Stone film, heavy as they usually are on corrupt government institutions and heroes who risk everything in pursuit of the almighty truth.
He faces at least 30 years in jail in the U.S., and has been living in exile at an undisclosed location in Russian Federation since June 2013.
Hours after Snowden’s latest plea went public, a campaign supporting the exiled American was launched.
“This isn’t just about me”, Snowden said.
But in the three years since Snowden’s first NSA leaks, which sparked a global discussion about digital privacy and security issues, supporters feel that the tide has turned in support of his actions, so much so that Obama may clear him of criminal charges. I will say this: “I love my country, I love my family and I have dedicated my life to both of them, but I can not support the persecution of those charged under an espionage act when they have commmited no espionage”. “And we don’t want that, that’s what Snowden said”.
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Still, said ACLU attorney Ben Wizner, who heads up Snowden’s legal team, the best way to bring his client home is by using public pressure on the White House. “We must ensure whistleblowers can act again”. “We need to find the political will”.
