Well this is something . After years of pressure from activist , the European Parliamentjust passed a resolutionurging its member states to volunteer tribute to Edward Snowden . That would entail drop all charges against the whistleblower and shielding him from extradition to the United States .
For Snowden , who ’s been holed up in Russia for as long as anybody can remember , this is really enceinte news . The former NSA contractor said as much on Twitter :
Hearing report EU just voted 285 - 281 , overcoming huge pressure , to cancel all charges against me and forestall extradition . Game - changer .
— Edward Snowden ( @Snowden)October 29 , 2015
The extent to which the European parliament ’s actions will in reality help to keep Snowden out of U.S. prison , however , remains to be seen . The resolution itselfis non - binding , and all of the European nations involve in passing it have extradition treaties with the U.S. However , the world will take notice , now that a ( slight ) majority of MEPs vote to “ allow [ Snowden ] protection and accordingly foreclose extradition or rendition by third parties , in recognition of his status as whistle - blower and international human rights shielder . ”
Snowden ’s lawyer in Berlin , Wolfgang Kaleck , called the vote “ an overdue step ” and implored the EU member states “ to act now to enforce the resolution . ” The White House , however , is less than miffed .
“ Our position has not changed , ” said Ned Price , a spokesman for the National Security Counciltold The New York Times . “ Mr. Snowden is accused of leak classified information and faces felony charge here in the United States . As such , he should be riposte to the U.S. as presently as potential , where he will be accorded full due process . ”
Let ’s be good , though . If any of Europe ’s beautiful rural area do jibe to take Snowden in , it ’s a winnings for the whistle blower . After all , the weather in Sicily is much nicer than it is in Moscow .
[ Wired , New York Times ]
Image via Getty
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Edward SnowdenPolitics
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