European Parliament Drops Charges, Offers Snowden Protection as a “Human Rights Defender”

From reports out of the EU:

MEPs voted 285 – 281 to recognise the NSA whistleblower’s status as a “human rights defender” and asked member states to grant him protection from extradition to the US, where he is wanted under several Espionage Act charges.

In the resolution that was passed, MEPs said “too little has been done to safeguard citizens’ fundamental rights following revelations of electronic mass surveillance” the whistleblower alerted the world to after exposing the extent of the National Security Agency’s spying programmes in 2013.

Snowden’s lawyers have said in the past that the whistleblower is longing to return home since fleeing the US.

Barack Obama’s administration, however, has showed no sign of dropping the charges against him.

The USA Freedom Act passed by the Senate earlier this year quietly ended NSA collection of meta data and calling records in the most significant overhaul to surveillance policy since 1978.

In 2014 both independent and White House-funded studies analysed hundreds of terror cases and concluded that the NSA collection of phone records had had no discernible impact in foiling terror plots.

Although Snowden’s charges remain pending in the US, significant legislation has passed, ending many of the privacy concerns the NSA previously held following 9/11.

Snowden remains a controversial figure.  Many Americans see Snowden as a persecuted hero.  Others, feel he committed treason.  Whatever the view,  Snowden exposed the government’s arm reaching into Americans privacy, and its been proven the collection of our emails, cell phone calls and other internet use, led to no impact on catching terrorists.

Snowden expressed his hope is to someday return home, to the US.

Source:  i100 Independent