Snowden Says Clinton And Sanders Are ‘Refreshing,’ Give Him Hope To Return
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Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden is interviewed by The Guardian in his hotel room in Hong Kong...Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden is seen in this still image taken from video during an interview by The Guardian in his hotel room in Hong Kong June 6, 2013. Snowden was on July 24, 2013 granted documents that will allow him to leave a Moscow airport where he is holed up, an airport source said on Wednesday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for leaking details of U.S. government intelligence programmes, was expected to meet his lawyer at Sheremetyevo airport later on Wednesday after lodging a request for temporary asylum in Russia. The immigration authorities declined immediate comment. Picture taken June 6, 2013. MANDATORY CREDIT. REUTERS/Glenn Greenwald/Laura Poitras/Courtesy of The Guardian/Handout via Reuters (CHINA - Tags: POLITICS MEDIA)
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Jacob Bojesson
While watching the Oct. 13 Democratic debate from his refuge in Moscow, Edward Snowden got a glimpse of hope for the future.
Edward Snowden commented on the chances of him returning to the U.S. one day in an interview published Friday by Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. He said the words of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton made him hopeful that he one may be able to go back to the U.S.
“I watched the debate live. It was very refreshing,” he said. “In 2013 they called for me to get hanged. They used word like ‘traitor’ and expressions like ‘blood on the hands.’ As far as I could tell no one in the panel used those types of words now. In two years it’s a remarkable transformation.”
Sanders particularly defended the former NSA contractor for educating the American people by releasing the classified documents.
“I think Snowden played a very important role in educating the American public … he did break the law, and I think there should be a penalty to that,” Sanders said during the debate.
Republican candidates have generally been more aggressive when asked about Snowden’s actions and how he should be held accountable.
When asked who he would vote for in an election between Clinton and Donald Trump, Snowden declined to answer.
“Haha. If…No, I’m not going to say anything. It’s too infected,” he said.
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