Whistleblower Edward Snowden, who has been given refuge in Russia after leaking details of the NSA’s mass surveillance programs, wants to return to the United States and is working with American and German lawyers to arrange a fair trial at home.
Anatoly Kucherena, the Russian lawyer who represents the former NSA contractor, announced in Moscow that his client wants to go back to the US and his team of lawyers is doing everything possible to solve this issue, according to AFP cited by Business Insider.
“With a group of lawyers from other countries, we are working on the question of his return to America,” Kucherena said.
“Snowden is ready to return to the States, but on the condition that he is given a guarantee of a legal and impartial trial,” he continued.
The Russian lawyer claims Snowden received a guarantee from the US Attorney General that he will not face the death penalty, but he also want guarantees of a fair trial. That means that he would not face charges under the Espionage Act, a century old law.
Edward Snowden was granted political asylum in the summer of 2013 after he leaked extensive secrets of electronic surveillance programs by the National Security Agency and the US revoked his passport. He initially fled to Hong Kong and was on its way to Cuba when Russia gave him a three-year residency permit. Kremlin has refused to extradite him so far, but also denied that he is working with Russian intelligence. Kucherena explained that his client is allowed to travel outside the country, but he could be taken to an US embassy as soon as he would get out of Russia. For now, although he moves freely, Snowden is accompanied by guards.
Anatoly Kucherena’s comments were made at a conference where he presented a book he wrote about his client. Filmmaker Oliver Stone already bought the right to make a movie about Snowden starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.