Russia grants Edward Snowden residency for three more years

Russia has granted former NSA contractor Edward Snowden an extension to stay in the country for three more years. (Reuters)

MOSCOW Russia has granted fugitive National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden permission to remain in the country for three more years, Snowdens attorney said Thursday, a measure that promised to further strain U.S.-Russian relations.

The decision gives the former NSA contractor the option to remain in Russia through August 2017 and, potentially, to take up Russian citizenship should he extend his stay for one year beyond that, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told reporters.

The decision last year to grant asylum to Snowden for a year was a major factor in the souring of U.S.-Russian relations, which have deteriorated to Cold War lows over the conflict in Ukraine. The decision to extend Snowdens stay, although not a surprise, represents another political dig by the Kremlin at the Obama administration, which made Snowdens return to U.S. territory a high priority.

The announcement came on the day that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would ban all meat, produce and milk imports from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway for a year.

Starting August 1, 2014, Edward Snowden has received a residence permit for a three-year term, Kucherena said. He said his client has not been granted official political asylum, which would allow him to stay in Russia permanently and must be decided through a separate process. Kucherena said Snowden has not decided whether to try to remain in Russia permanently.

Last year, Snowden released thousands of files about the inner workings of U.S. intelligence agencies to journalists, including those at The Washington Post and Britains Guardian newspaper. The subsequent articles created an uproar about the reach and extent of U.S. government surveillance both at home and abroad and led to a review by the Obama administration of intelligence agencies surveillance powers.

As a result of the leaks, Snowden faces U.S. charges of espionage and theft of government property, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Kucherena painted a picture of a somewhat lonely life for Snowden, who is working to learn Russian and rarely gives interviews.

He has to think about his security. He has a very modest life, Kucherena said. But Snowden is very free to move around, goes shopping, and visits museums and theaters, he said.

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Russia grants Edward Snowden residency for three more years