Whistleblowing

Edward Snowden, NSA leaker, seeking extension of Russian residence permit: Reports

Edward Snowden is preparing to ask the Russian government to extend his residence permit, a lawyer for the fugitive former U.S. intelligence contractor reportedly said Friday.

Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer representing Mr. Snowden, discussed his client’s residency status during an event in Moscow, multiple regional media outlets reported.

“His residence permit will expire in April 2020, and we are working to extend it for several years,” said Mr. Kucherena, the state-run TASS agency reported in English.

“At the request of Edward, I am preparing documents for the migration service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the extension,” added Mr. Kucherena, the privately owned Interfax outlet reported in Russian.

Mr. Snowden, 36, has been criminally charged in the U.S. in connection with admittedly leaking a trove of classified National Security Agency material to media outlets in 2013.