Edward Snowden granted permanent residency in Russia

Former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden has been granted permanent residency in Russia, his lawyer said on Thursday.

Mr. Snowden, a former contractor with the U.S. National Security Agency, has been living in Russia since 2013 to escape prosecution in the U.S. after leaking classified documents detailing government surveillance programs.

“Today, Snowden was handed a residency permit for an unlimited period of time,” his Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told Russia’s state Tass news agency.