Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree granting citizenship to Edward Snowden, the former CIA contractor who has lived in Russia since 2013. The document, published on the government’s legal information portal, confirms the decision’s formalization by the head of state and places Snowden among the foreigners who received Russian citizenship that day.
Snowden, aged 39, had already been living in exile in Russia after seeking political asylum in 2013. The decree specifies that citizenship is conferred to a person born in the United States on June 21, 1983, in alignment with the presidential authority described in Article 89 of the Russian Constitution, which allows the president to grant citizenship and asylum as deemed appropriate.
Snowden submitted his citizenship application on November 2, 2020, a process that culminated in the latest official move. He has not commented publicly on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, which began in February of the previous year.
Snowden’s representative, attorney Anatoli Kucherena, rejected the notion that Snowden might be summoned for any mobilization measures announced by the Russian leadership in the preceding week. He stated that Snowden cannot be mobilized due to his lack of service in the Russian armed forces and absence of military experience.
Following the decree, Snowden, who previously held a permanent residence permit since October 2020, is noted to have started a family in Russia. He and his wife, Lindsay Mills, welcomed their first child in December of that year, with the understanding that birth within Russian territory confers automatic citizenship to the child under national law.
Snowden’s background includes service as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency. He left the United States in 2013 after disclosing information about U.S. surveillance programs. Since then he has faced legal challenges in his country regarding espionage charges and has operated from Russia, where he later married Lindsay Mills in 2017 and continued his professional work abroad.
Beyond his public statements and advocacy on information technology risks and privacy concerns, Snowden has authored books and participated in global virtual conferences. His activities cover cybersecurity, digital privacy policy, and the implications of government surveillance on civil liberties, contributing to ongoing international discussions about governance, technology, and individual rights. The latest citizenship grant is framed within Russia’s broader immigration policies and its approach to notable foreign residents who have pursued residence within the country for several years.