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Ask HN: What Happened to Snowden?

31 points by rootsudo 5y ago

strangattractor 5y ago
Unlike Henry David Thoreau and Chelsea Manning that served time in jail for defying the law on moral grounds. Snowden has chosen to live in Russia to avoid jail. Not sure if this has accomplished his desire to live in a country that does not spy on its people, jail political enemies, push journalist out windows and poison people.
- runjake 5y ago
  I’m pretty sure his desire was to escape prosecution in whatever country would let him live relatively normally.
- slyall 5y ago
  Henry David Thoreau served one day in Jail. Manning was arrested and sentenced to 30 years. Snowden leaked his material and managed to avoid Jail. He certain would still be in there (or dead) if the American government had caught him. The US authorities have shown no inclination to admit to their wrongs, so why should Snowden volunteer go to jail?
  - lern_too_spel 5y ago
    The American government admitted it was wrong on the single US program that Snowden leaked that was illegal. Snowden hasn't yet admitted he was wrong about his interpretation of the other programs, but he no longer talks about them. He should volunteer to go to jail to demonstrate that he understands his crime. https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/08/edward-snowden-deserves-a-trial-not-a-pardon/ https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/08/edward-snowden-deserves...
  - strangattractor 5y ago
    Chelsea has been out of prison for quite some time. If you can't do the time don't do the crime.
elviejo 5y ago
He didn't choose to live in Russia, he was stranded there. Plus he also wants to return to the USA given that his judged in an open court. Not a secret one. He says so in this interview: https://youtu.be/PArFP7ZJrtg https://youtu.be/PArFP7ZJrtg
srvmshr 5y ago
I bet this will be an uncomfortable period with a lot of strategizing for Snowden, without much outcome. He chose to move to Russia and accept a permanent residency. He (and his lawyers) have expressed the desire to acquire Russian citizenship eventually as of 2020. The war with Ukraine has changed the political calculus everwhere. Snowden must be feeling caught between the devil and the deep sea. As someone leaking secrets and overtly critical of American polity, it is hard for him to return to America. Certain jail time awaits. He hasn't been pardoned by the last two presidents despite numerous requests appearing in news. But now with Russian aggression, he finds himself locked in a country where quality of life, freedom & personal security is falling faster than a dropweight. He cannot choose another secure country. Worse, he could be blackmailed by Kremlin to be a state actor/mouthpiece in exchange for his personal security guarantees. Tough choices.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- petre 5y ago
  He could move to Azerbaidjan or Moldova, although the latter is not that safe for him with prospects of EU integration. He could still be extradited to the EU from AZ.
  - DoItToMe81 5y ago
    Azerbaijan doesn't have extradition agreements with the US, but it does with multiple US allies in Europe. I doubt it would be safe.
    - petre 5y ago
      It's still a long shot. He didn't commit any crimes on EU soil. Also Moldova has the breakaway region of Transnistria which they do not control and was used in the past by other American citizens. It's still kind of unconfortably close to the war and there's nowhere to flee from there except Moldova or Ukraine. From Baku it's easier to flee to the Middle East.
throwawaysleep 5y ago
He gets to have a front row seat to what a surveillance state really looks like. I do not blame him for staying silent though. He has a family to try and keep safe.
cable2600 5y ago
I am certain Russia is having Snowden write spyware for them. We might see it soon enough as Russia uses it to spy on the USA and EU.
- throwbigdata 5y ago
  You aren’t certain, you are speculating.
  - ecf 5y ago
    It’s more speculative to assume that Snowden isn’t a puppet of Russia at this point. I can guarantee Russia isn’t letting Snowden stay there with no strings attached.
aaron695 5y ago
gabrielsroka 5y ago
https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1498049577131208705 https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1498049577131208705

31 points by rootsudo 5y ago

Unlike Henry David Thoreau and Chelsea Manning that served time in jail for defying the law on moral grounds. Snowden has chosen to live in Russia to avoid jail. Not sure if this has accomplished his desire to live in a country that does not spy on its people, jail political enemies, push journalist out windows and poison people.

runjake 5y ago
I’m pretty sure his desire was to escape prosecution in whatever country would let him live relatively normally.
slyall 5y ago
Henry David Thoreau served one day in Jail. Manning was arrested and sentenced to 30 years. Snowden leaked his material and managed to avoid Jail. He certain would still be in there (or dead) if the American government had caught him. The US authorities have shown no inclination to admit to their wrongs, so why should Snowden volunteer go to jail?
- lern_too_spel 5y ago
  The American government admitted it was wrong on the single US program that Snowden leaked that was illegal. Snowden hasn't yet admitted he was wrong about his interpretation of the other programs, but he no longer talks about them. He should volunteer to go to jail to demonstrate that he understands his crime. https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/08/edward-snowden-deserves-a-trial-not-a-pardon/ https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/08/edward-snowden-deserves...
- strangattractor 5y ago
  Chelsea has been out of prison for quite some time. If you can't do the time don't do the crime.

elviejo 5y ago

He didn't choose to live in Russia, he was stranded there. Plus he also wants to return to the USA given that his judged in an open court. Not a secret one. He says so in this interview: https://youtu.be/PArFP7ZJrtg https://youtu.be/PArFP7ZJrtg

srvmshr 5y ago

I bet this will be an uncomfortable period with a lot of strategizing for Snowden, without much outcome. He chose to move to Russia and accept a permanent residency. He (and his lawyers) have expressed the desire to acquire Russian citizenship eventually as of 2020. The war with Ukraine has changed the political calculus everwhere. Snowden must be feeling caught between the devil and the deep sea. As someone leaking secrets and overtly critical of American polity, it is hard for him to return to America. Certain jail time awaits. He hasn't been pardoned by the last two presidents despite numerous requests appearing in news. But now with Russian aggression, he finds himself locked in a country where quality of life, freedom & personal security is falling faster than a dropweight. He cannot choose another secure country. Worse, he could be blackmailed by Kremlin to be a state actor/mouthpiece in exchange for his personal security guarantees. Tough choices.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
petre 5y ago
He could move to Azerbaidjan or Moldova, although the latter is not that safe for him with prospects of EU integration. He could still be extradited to the EU from AZ.
- DoItToMe81 5y ago
  Azerbaijan doesn't have extradition agreements with the US, but it does with multiple US allies in Europe. I doubt it would be safe.
  - petre 5y ago
    It's still a long shot. He didn't commit any crimes on EU soil. Also Moldova has the breakaway region of Transnistria which they do not control and was used in the past by other American citizens. It's still kind of unconfortably close to the war and there's nowhere to flee from there except Moldova or Ukraine. From Baku it's easier to flee to the Middle East.

throwawaysleep 5y ago

He gets to have a front row seat to what a surveillance state really looks like. I do not blame him for staying silent though. He has a family to try and keep safe.

cable2600 5y ago

I am certain Russia is having Snowden write spyware for them. We might see it soon enough as Russia uses it to spy on the USA and EU.

throwbigdata 5y ago
You aren’t certain, you are speculating.
- ecf 5y ago
  It’s more speculative to assume that Snowden isn’t a puppet of Russia at this point. I can guarantee Russia isn’t letting Snowden stay there with no strings attached.

aaron695 5y ago

gabrielsroka 5y ago

https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1498049577131208705 https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1498049577131208705