X

Edward Snowden's asylum in Russia extended

The NSA whistleblower can stay there for another three years and continue to avoid charges in the US of espionage and theft of government property.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
gettyimages-459251249.jpg
Enlarge Image
gettyimages-459251249.jpg

Former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has been living in Russia since 2013.

Barton Gellman/Getty Images

Edward Snowden, the US intelligence contractor turned whistleblower, can stay in Russia awhile longer. The Russian government on Wednesday extended his asylum for another three years.

Snowden arrived in Russia in 2013 after disclosing evidence of mass surveillance by the US and UK. The Russian government granted him asylum, with his permission to remain in the country due to expire this year.

The US has charged Snowden with espionage and theft of government property after he leaked secret materials he discovered while working for the National Security Agency . Despite a petition signed this month by a million supporters, it appears unlikely he will be pardoned by outgoing President Barack Obama .

On Tuesday, Obama commuted the sentence of another whistleblower, Chelsea Manning. Snowden tweeted his thanks for that decision.

Life, disrupted: In Europe, millions of refugees are still searching for a safe place to settle. Tech should be part of the solution. But is it? CNET investigates.

Does the Mac still matter? Apple execs tell why the MacBook Pro was over four years in the making, and why we should care. Read about it here.