MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th December, 2020) Former officer of the US National Security Agency (NSA) Edward Snowden, who self-exiled in Russia after leaking classified information, asked outgoing US President Donald Trump on Friday to pardon espionage suspect Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks website.
Earlier this week, CNN reported, citing a source in the White House, that Trump might grant multiple pardons before leaving office.
"Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency during your time in office, please: free Julian Assange. You alone can save his life," Snowden said on Twitter.
Assange is currently in the Belmarsh high-security prison in the United Kingdom pending extradition to the United States on charges of espionage potentially punishable by a 175-year prison term. Ten years ago, WikiLeaks released the largest leak of classified documents in history, with hundreds of thousand of diplomatic cables and files exposing atrocities committed by US troops during military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Snowden himself was slapped with espionage charges after leaking highly classified information about US and UK surveillance programs, targeting both ordinary citizens and high-ranking foreign politicians, in 2013. With his US citizenship revoked, the ex-NSA employee fled to Russia, turning himself to the authorities in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, where he subsequently spent around one month as his case was reviewed.
Russia gave him temporary asylum on condition that he would not do anything to harm the US interests. In August 2014, Snowden was granted a three-year residence permit and a permanent residence permit in October of this year.
