Russian government gives Edward Snowden permanent residency

The Russian government has given whistleblower Edward Snowden permanent residency. That could be a step towards a Russian passport, but Snowden has said that he is not interested in it for the time being.

The residence permit expired and the Russian government has converted the temporary permit into a permanent one, his Russian lawyer told Reuters. The paperwork took a total of six months, the lawyer said. With the permanent residence permit, Snowden can apply for a Russian passport, but that will not happen yet.

Snowden has been in Russia since 2013. After the former NSA employee made his revelations in 2013, he was charged by the government with espionage. Snowden has so far escaped prosecution over his asylum application in Russia. Snowden has always said he wanted to return to the US if he got a fair trial there.