European Parliament wants Snowden to be protected as a human rights activist

The European Parliament on Thursday called on European member states to protect whistleblower Edward Snowden and prevent deportation. Votes 285 to 281 are calling for all charges against Snowden to be dismissed.

That writes the European Parliament in a press release. The vote on Snowden was part of a session in which MEPs asked the European Commission in a resolution to ensure that all data transfers to the United States are provided with an ‘effective level of protection’. The resolution on an effective level of protection was passed by 342 to 274 votes.

Following Snowden’s revelations, the European Parliament also passed a resolution on data interception in March 2014. However, the European Parliament believes that the European Commission has reacted very poorly to the 2014 resolution and that the fundamental rights of European citizens are still at risk and too little is still being done to protect them sufficiently.

The vote on whether Snowden should receive protection if he resides in a European member state painted a different picture. With 285 to 281 votes, support for protecting Snowden is less strong. With the resolution, the European Parliament urges Member States to ‘drop all criminal charges against Edward Snowden and protect him from extradition or avoid extradition by third parties, in recognition of his status as a whistleblower and international defender of human rights’.

The Daily Dot reports that failure to extradite Snowden if he were in a European country could potentially lead to an “international incident”. The United States has extradition treaties with all countries of Europe and a statement indicating that this agreement will not be honored is “almost unprecedented.” In an email to The Daily Dot, a spokesperson for the National Security Council does not immediately respond to the vote in Europe, but does indicate that the US position on the matter has not changed and that Snowden will inform the US as soon as possible. to be extradited for trial.

In a few tweets gives Snowden himself says that the vote of the parliament is a ‘game changer’. Also sees Snowden did not take it as a ‘slap in the face’ from the US government, but rather as an ‘outstretched hand from friends’ to ‘move on’.