The European Parliament voted to drop all criminal charges against Edward Snowden. According to IBT news, 285 votes won against 281 which Snowden considered as a 'game-changer.' The ruling of the parliament also granted him refuge and protection.
News from The Guardian also stated that the motion resulted to an appeal for the European Union member states to decline the United State's attempts to arrest and prosecute Snowden. Members of the European parliament were elected from all 28 member states.
This resolution would allow Snowden to move around the member states, including the United Kingdom, without restraints. Current US presidential administration though is not dismayed by the ruling. Despite the motion made, the US' stand on the case is still certain and definite.
Born in North Carolina in 1983, Edward Snowden was a former National Security Agency subcontractor. After only three months working in the NSA, he became aware of certain activities, like NSA spying on Americans through internet usage and phone calls. In May 2013, while he was at work, he copied NSA's top-secret documents. The documents had information on NSA's surveillance practices. All high-profiled information he obtained were compiled and a report was created.
Snowden starred in the headlines for leaking these top secret information about NSA surveillance activities and passing on classified documents. After the news broke, he has been to different countries - Hong Kong then Russia to seek refuge.
The U.S. charged Snowden under the Espionage Act. Under the administration of President Woodrow Wilson, this act was defined as a law that protects the United States against dangerous schemes of internal hostile activities. A person will be charged under this act for getting hold of information pertaining to a country's national defense with no permission.
Edward Snowden remains in Russia and is considered as a hero by many groups. His story was made into a documentary and it won an Oscar in 2015.
