Moscow: Former CIA operative Edward Snowden has been granted permanent residency in Russia.
According to foreign media, former US National Security Agency (NSA) and former CIA contractor Edward Snowden has been granted a permanent residence permit in Russia.
Edward Snowden arrived in Moscow seven years ago and sought refuge in Russia to escape the United States. He has been living in exile in Russia since 2013.
It may be recalled that Snowden had revealed in a report published in the British newspaper Guardian in 2013 that the US agency NSA had collected the telephone records of millions of citizens, after which he had taken refuge in Russia.
The United States has demanded that Russia deport Snowden, accusing him of violating the Espionage Act, but Russia has denied the allegations.
The 37-year-old former CIA and NSA contractor could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted in the United States, but now that he has been granted permanent residency in Russia, that is unlikely.
