Edward Snowden appeared in New York City via video link on Wednesday to make his case for a presidential pardon, although he stopped short of asking directly for one.
“The question of whether I, as a whistleblower, should be pardoned is not for me to answer,” Snowden said. “But I will say this: I love my country, I love my family, and I have dedicated my life to both of them.
“These risks, these burdens that I took on, I knew were coming,” he added. “Of course I look forward to coming home, but I cannot support the persecution of those charged under an espionage act when they have committed no espionage.”
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Snowden’s appearance came as part of an event hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. The groups are pushing to win a presidential pardon on Snowden’s behalf in the waning days of President Obama’s tenure in office.
Snowden said he failed to anticipate the support he would receive when he came forward as a whistleblower in 2013. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined three years ago such an outpouring of solidarity. But even though I’m far from home and your company, your support keeps me company. In the end, this isn’t about me. It’s about all of us. And I hope that together, we’ll stay free.”
Oliver Stone’s movie “Snowden,” which focuses on the whistleblower’s life from the time he absconded from the NSA with classified data to when he fled to Hong Kong and eventually Russia, will premiere tonight in New York City, and is set to hit theaters nationwide on Thursday.
