Russia grants three-year residence permit to Edward Snowden

MOSCOW: Russia has granted a three-year residence permit to Edward Snowden, a fugitive former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, RT quoted his lawyer as saying on Thursday.

The permit will start on August 1 and will be valid until 2017.

“On the first of August he received a three-year residence permit,” Snowden’s lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told reporters.

“He will be able to travel freely within the country and go abroad. He’ll be able to stay abroad for not longer than three months,” Kucherena said.

The former NSA contractor will be able to apply for the Russian citizenship in five years.

“A foreign citizen, who got a residence permit, will certainly be able to apply for citizenship,” Kucherena said.