Edward Snowden is ready to return to the United States, according to his Russian lawyer. However, the former systems administrator at the center of the largest leak of classified information from the NSA will only return on the condition that the United States promises him a fair trial.
"Snowden is ready to return to the US, but on condition that guarantees are provided for a fair and impartial trial," his Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said at a press conference on Tuesday, AFP reported.
"He's thinking about it. He has the desire to come back and we're doing everything we can to make it happen," he added.
The former NSA employee has been living in Russia since 2013. He was found there via Hong Kong, the first place he stayed after the first leaks of several classified US National Security Agency files.
US authorities asked him to surrender when he showed up at the Moscow airport. The best reassurance he managed to get from his homeland was a confirmation from the US Attorney General that he would not face the death penalty.
So he decided to seek asylum in Russia. He has been stuck in the country ever since, probably under pressure from the US and since he was granted political asylum in the summer of 2013. His residence permit has been extended to three years since 2013. His life is not easy, however, as he tries to hide, avoiding the secret services that are looking for him. He lives a “lonely life,” according to AFP.
Recently, however, Edward Snowden 's partner , Lindsay Mills, moved to live with him in Moscow.
