Edward Snowden Responds to Critics – The Brian Lehrer Show – WNYC

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This interviewwas recorded as part of RadioLoveFest, produced by WNYC and BAM. It's an excerpt from a long, live discussionheld at BAM in Brooklyn on March 11, 2016, where Brian interviewed Edward Snowden and journalist/filmmaker Laura Poitras.Click here to listen to the full 90 minutes.

Edward Snowden has said that he would come back to the United States if he could face a fair trial, but so far the prospect seems unlikely.

"They said you cannot use a public interest defense. You cannot say the word whistle-blower," And as Snowden sees it this is the definition of unfair: "This of course is the fundamental basis of an unfair trial. If you can't present a defense it's not a trial. It's an extended booking process."

But he did get one morsel of consolation:"When I asked I the government to guarantee that a public interest argument would be available, they responded with a letter that said I would not be tortured."

On March 11th, Brian interviewed filmmakerLaura Poitrasand former intelligence officerEdward Snowden(via Google Hangouts) on the BAM stage for RadioLoveFest. In this excerpt Snowden responds to critics whoclaim he does not deserve clemency(or the title of whistle-blower) because he leaked not just domestic metadata programs, but instances of spying onon foreign governments and foreign individuals.

Snowden shook off thecriticismwith a stance of his own:

"It's important that we elevate and primarily focus on the rights of American citizens, but it's also important that we don't forget, 95 percent of the world's population lives beyond our own borders. And they do have rights, too. And even though we may focus first on the rights of our own country, that does not mean that we should disregard the rights of everyone else."

And Edward Snowden looks toward the future:

"I never chose to be in Russia and I would prefer to be in my own country, but if I can't make it homeI will continue to work very much in the same way that I have [...] What happens to me is not as important,I simply serve as the mechanism of disclosure."

Host Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives. Produced by WNYC.

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Edward Snowden Responds to Critics - The Brian Lehrer Show - WNYC