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The Globe and Mail reports that Edward Snowden's Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena says the fugitive former US spy agency contractor who leaked details of the government’s mass surveillance programs was working with American and German lawyers to return home. “I won’t keep it secret that he … wants to return back home. And we are doing everything possible now to solve this issue. There is a group of U.S. lawyers, there is also a group of German lawyers and I’m dealing with it on the Russian side.” Kucherena added that Snowden is ready to return to the States, but on the condition that he is given a guarantee of a legal and impartial trial. The lawyer said Snowden had so far only received a guarantee from the US Attorney General that he will not face the death penalty. Kucherena says that Snowden is able to travel outside Russia since he has a three-year Russian residency permit, but "I suspect that as soon as he leaves Russia, he will be taken to the US embassy."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday March 04 2015, @04:31PM
He can't possibly expect to be cleared of any wrong doing.
At this point he should either stay in Russia indefinitely or commit suicide. Seriously, there is no other recourse. He blew the lid off a massive intelligence operation which has pissed off quite a few people in the government and their contractor/golfing buddies. There is no way he can ever expect to get a fair trial. The name of the game will be character assassination, and lots of it. He will be painted as a Russian spy/double agent and traitor along with fabricated stories about offshore accounts that the Russians filled with money. I'd even expect them to say they found child porn, drugs, a koran, The Communist Manifesto, etc at his home. The flag waving dimwits will be told he handed the commies and muslim terrorists all of our secrets on a silver platter making America vulnerable to a massive terrorist attack any day now. Think of the children, etc, the list goes on.
The best I can see them giving him is life without parole in a supermax, probably ADX Florence. If Russia was going to throw me out, I'd kill myself. Even in another non US friendly country I'd expect a bullet to the head by a covert goon from a three letter agency.
(Score: 2) by buswolley on Wednesday March 04 2015, @04:46PM
some of those things could be true but I doubt they'd assassinate him: Too high profile.
The purpose of a trial would be to raise awareness further through spectacle. Snowden plays the martyr. He gave up on freedom a long time ago.
Suicide, cmon.
subicular junctures
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday March 04 2015, @05:22PM
Suicide was an extreme I threw in there. Not literally implying he should do it.
He cant possibly win. Even with an overwhelming outpouring of support of the people the government has the final say.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by wantkitteh on Thursday March 05 2015, @02:34AM
America probably wouldn't try to assassinate anyone under the watchful gaze of Russia's agencies - they're still the best in the world at the human spy game. As terrible and as unjust as his life now has become, if he leaves to another country, he's likely to meet a sudden end along the lines of Monica in The Honourable Woman. Something that'll look exactly like a suicide.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Friday March 06 2015, @01:38PM
That was my exact line of thought. You said it better than I did. The US won't dare touch him as long as he is in Russia. But, any where else? Good as dead. And like you said, it will look like an accident or just another local crime statistic.