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Kucherina told the Interfax news agency that the request was submitted in April, but due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions, immigration authorities have been slower to consider it.
The lawyer said Snowden was able to obtain permanent residence rights due to changes in Russian immigration laws that were made in 2019.
Kucherina added that Snowden is not considering applying for Russian citizenship at this time.
Snowden, who has remained out of the limelight in Russia and has at times criticized the Russian government’s policies on social media, said last year that he was willing to return to the United States if a fair trial was guaranteed.
And last August, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that: "Will take a look" On the possibility of forgiving Snowden.
In 2015, various organizations to defend freedoms launched a massive campaign to pressure then-President of the United States, Barack Obama, to pardon Snowden, but the White House rejected the order.
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Snowden was a former contractor for the National Security Agency and has lived in Russia since 2013 to escape prosecution in the United States, after secret documents were leaked detailing the government’s surveillance programs.
His Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherina, told the Russian news agency TASS: “Today, Snowden received a residence permit for an unlimited period of time.”
Kucherina told the Interfax news agency that the request was submitted in April, but due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions, immigration authorities have been slower to consider it.
The lawyer said Snowden was able to obtain permanent residence rights due to changes in Russian immigration laws that were made in 2019.
Kucherina added that Snowden is not considering applying for Russian citizenship at this time.
Snowden, who has remained out of the limelight in Russia and has at times criticized the Russian government’s policies on social media, said last year that he was willing to return to the United States if a fair trial was guaranteed.
And last August, US President Donald Trump announced that he would “take a look” at the possibility of a pardon for Snowden.
In 2015, various organizations to defend freedoms launched a massive campaign to pressure then-President of the United States, Barack Obama, to pardon Snowden, but the White House rejected the order.
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