Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who leaked documents pertaining to the NSA's PRISM campaign and set off a worldwide revelation of how much governments are able to keep track of their citizens, has been granted asylum in Russia by President Putin, on the condition that he stops leaking U.S. secrets.

Snowden accepted the condition and has now been granted asylum in the country for one year. This was confirmed by his lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, who said: “I have just handed over to him papers from the Russian Immigration Service. They are what he needs to leave the transit zone.”

Shot of Snowden leaving the airport: Source: Vesti.RU

The document leaker has been staying at the Moscow airport for the past month, after his flight to a potential safe-haven in Ecuador was blocked when the US revoked his passport. With no method of passing national borders, Snowden was trapped in the airport lounge, unable to leave Russia but unable to enter it either.

While it's been confirmed that Snowden has left the airport, it's not known where he is right now. His lawyer suggested that he may now look to extend his stay in Russia and rebuild his life there, but that his security will be a difficult thing to manage: “He is the most wanted person on earth and his security will be a priority,” the attorney explained. “He will deal with personal security issues and lodging himself. I will just consult him as his lawyer.”

Kitguru Says: So what do you guys think of this news? My feelings towards Snowden have cooled a little as more information has come out on him, but I'm still glad we know what the governments are up to a bit more, especially with Cameron's crackdown on the internet in recent weeks.

Thanks RT

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