Edward Snowden Asks President Trump To Pardon Julian Assange
Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who is now living in exile in Russia, asked President Donald Trump to pardon Wikileaks founder Julian Assange instead of himself. He made the request through a tweet on Thursday. “Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency during your time in office, please: free Julian Assange. You alone can save his life.”
Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency during your time in office, please: free Julian Assange. You alone can save his life. @realDonaldTrump
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) December 3, 2020
There has been a growing call for the President to pardon both Snowden and Assange. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has requested the President to consider pardoning the two alongside others.
.@realDonaldTrump Since you're giving pardons to people, please consider pardoning those who, at great personal sacrifice, exposed the deception and criminality of those in the deep state. https://t.co/aeXklUsNSd
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) November 26, 2020
Snowden copied and leaked classified information from the National Security Agency when working there as a subcontractor. The information that he leaked showed that the government was illegally spying on American citizens and that telecommunication companies and European governments have been working with the intelligence agencies. The revelations raised a lot of questions about the question of secrecy and the right to privacy.
Julian Assange is now being held in the United Kingdom and is facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in jail. He has been charged by a federal grand jury because of his role in founding Wikileaks.
The President has personally expressed interest in pardoning Snowden in the past. Back in August, he said that he is taking a good look at pardoning the whistleblower. Snowden’s plea on behalf of Assange is crucial. There are claims that Assange’s health is so bad that he could die in prison. There is also the possibility that he might be silenced by those he might expose.