EU Parliament Votes To Drop Charges Against Snowden

[Suzanimal]

659735556868435968


A big win for Edward Snowden came with the narrowest of margins.

By a vote of 285 to 281, Members of European Parliament (MEP) passed a resolution Thursday calling for EU member states to drop criminal charges against the former NSA contractor and protect him from extradition.

In June of this year, the White House rejected the idea of dropping charges filed against Snowden under the Espionage Act. The former CIA contractor fled the U.S. in 2013 and resides in Moscow.

“The fact is that Mr Snowden committed very serious crimes, and the U.S. government and the Department of Justice believe that he should face them,” Obama administration spokesman Josh Earnest told the Guardian at the time. “That’s why we believe that Mr Snowden should return to the United States, where he will face due process and have the opportunity to make that case in a court of law.”

Snowden faces the possibility of extradition to the U.S. should he enter any of the EU’s 28 member countries. At the time of his departure, Snowden applied for -- and was denied -- asylum in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. The FBI pursued him relentlessly, even notifying Scandinavian countries in advance of their intent to extradite him should he leave Moscow via a connecting flight through any of their countries.

The new EU proposition specifically asks countries to "drop any criminal charges against Edward Snowden, grant him protection and consequently prevent extradition or rendition by third parties, in recognition of his status as whistle-blower and international human rights defender."

Snowden called the vote a "game-changer" on Twitter, adding, "This is not a blow against the US Government, but an open hand extended by friends. It is a chance to move forward."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/edward-snowden-eu-charges_56322f85e4b0631799112728?ir=World&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000014

[jmdrake]

Yeah!!!! But I'm confused. How could there be any criminal charges against him in Europe? :confused:

[luctor-et-emergo]

Yeah!!!! But I'm confused. How could there be any criminal charges against him in Europe? :confused:

Well there was plenty of information about EU intelligence services in those files ?

[jmdrake]

Well there was plenty of information about EU intelligence services in those files ?

Okay. But wasn't the "crime" the U.S. spying on Europe in the first place?

[Ronin Truth]

Yeah!!!! But I'm confused. How could there be any criminal charges against him in Europe? :confused:

Ditto. :confused:

[Suzanimal]

Okay. But wasn't the "crime" the U.S. spying on Europe in the first place?

He released a lot of info about GCHQ.

[Anti Federalist]

Europe has voted to offer Edward Snowden asylum

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/europe-has-voted-to-offer-edward-snowden-asylum--W1eMqoEsDOe

The European Parliament voted on Thursday to drop all criminal charges against Edward Snowden and offer him asylum and protection from rendition from third parties.

(That's us, in case you didn't know, the good old USSA - AF)

MEPs voted 285 - 281 to recognise the NSA whistleblower's status as a "human rights defender" and asked member states to grant him protection from extradition to the US, where he is wanted under several Espionage Act charges.

In the resolution that was passed, MEPs said "too little has been done to safeguard citizens' fundamental rights following revelations of electronic mass surveillance" Snowden showed the world after leaving his job as a contractor with the National Security Agency and exposing the extent of its spying programmes.

The EU Commission is also being urged to ensure that all data transfers to the US are subject to an "effective level of protection" and examine concerns over surveillance laws in several EU countries. It is up to individual member states to implement the resolution.

Snowden's lawyers have said in the past that the whistleblower is longing to return home since fleeing the US for Hong Kong and then Russia in 2013.

Barack Obama's administration, though, has showed no sign of dropping the charges against him.

Snowden, 31, has been living in exile in Russia for two years after exposing the extent of the global surveillance programme by passing on classified records and allowing them to be published outside the US. He is still waiting on asylum decisions from 21 different countries.

In 2014 both independent and White House-funded studies analysed hundreds of terror cases in the US and concluded that the NSA collection of phone records had had no discernible impact in foiling terror plots.

[IDefendThePlatform]

This is fantastic news.

"asked member states to grant him protection..." So is this a done deal or is there more stuff that needs to happen before snowden can just move to Europe?

[Anti Federalist]

This is fantastic news.

"asked member states to grant him protection..." So is this a done deal or is there more stuff that needs to happen before snowden can just move to Europe?

I am not familiar enough with the inner machinations of the EU bureaucracy to answer that.

At the very worst it is great first step.

[CaptUSA]

http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/itsatrap.jpg

[Barrex]

This is fantastic news.

"asked member states to grant him protection..." So is this a done deal or is there more stuff that needs to happen before snowden can just move to Europe?

This is not legally binding anyone. It leaves decision to states to decide what to do with Snowden if he comes on their territory.

285 - 281 is almost 50%-50%


While it is a good policy. It is a bad omen. Now they are asking and soon they will be ordering states how to enforce their own laws.

[brushfire]

Cool - he'll just have to watch his tea closely, and drive a car from the 90's. Stay away from the Mercedes, and palm tree lined roadways.

[sparebulb]

It is a trick.

Stay in Russia, Ed.

[Dr. Dog]

It's just a resolution by the EU parliament. Criminal matters are handled by each individual state. This doesn't change anything.

[Suzanimal]

It's just a resolution by the EU parliament. Criminal matters are handled by each individual state. This doesn't change anything.

Yeah, I saw an article that explained that earlier and meant to post it but got distracted by the herpes thread.:o Now I can't find it - if you know of it please post, thanks.

[TheTexan]

Yeah, I saw an article that explained that earlier and meant to post it but got distracted by the herpes thread.:o Now I can't find it - if you know of it please post, thanks.

That thread comes and goes. I'm sure it'll be back.

[qh4dotcom]

It is a trick.

Stay in Russia, Ed.

Exactly.....who trusts the EU in here?

Besides, since Russia has been so nice to him.....why leave?

[surf]

Exactly.....who trusts the EU in here?

Besides, since Russia has been so nice to him.....why leave?
because it's Russia. never been, but when it comes to places i'd like to visit (let alone reside), Russia is low on my list. this guys last home was in Hawaii....

there's also the "freedom factor."

[pcosmar]

there's also the "freedom factor."

And where is that found??

Regardless,, good for the EU parliament.

Doesn't make him safe anywhere in public though.

[IDefendThePlatform]

So if the vote was 285-281 or whatever I'm guessing there's at least a couple of countries who's representatives were pretty much all aligned in favor of the vote, meaning that country (or countries, hopefully) is fairly likely to take the next step and offer him outright asylum or whatever. I'm guessing he's checking into that right now. Also it might behoove him to avoid any countries where the majority of the reps voted against because that might mean their political climate lacks support or willpower to protect him from renditions.

[AngryCanadian]

http://digitalclaritygroup.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/trap.png

[AngryCanadian]

because it's Russia. never been, but when it comes to places i'd like to visit (let alone reside), Russia is low on my list. this guys last home was in Hawaii....

there's also the "freedom factor."


Ah yes Freedom factor like how there is in the Gulf States to...

[surf]

Siberia or the swiss alps? that's the freedom factor - a larger sphere to roam, perhaps. don't bust my balls about the eu. given nobel pp winner Obomber's penchant for bombing other winners (msf won in '99, eu won in 2012), i'm guessing Mr. Snowden's options may be limited.

[Peace&Freedom]

The US has extradition treaties with most of the countries of the EU, so regardless of how a given state voted the US would be able to insist it turn over Snowden if he sought asylum there. The Espionage Act does not allow a whistleblower defense so as long as they intend to prosecute him under it, Snowden cannot get due process or a fair trial upon return to the US. Stay put, Ed.

[TheNewYorker]

If he were to step foot on any European country, the CIA will disappear him.

[presence]

very cool news... but...


If he were to step foot on any European country, the CIA will disappear him.

^^^this

[navy-vet]

The CIA could have had him dispatched a long time ago. It's obvious that he has some insurance, he isn't stupid.