Eight thousand Icelanders sign appeal for Snowden pardon

Over eight thousand Icelandic signatures will be handed over to the US Embassy in Reykjavik on Monday to demand a pardon for Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency employee wanted by the US on charges of theft and espionage,  according to an announcement from Amnesty International.

Amnesty International has appealed to the public worldwide since 2013 for a pardon for Snowden.

“Edward Snowden clearly acted in the public interest. He sparked one of the most important debates about government surveillance in decades, and brought about a global movement in defence of privacy in the digital age. Punishing him for this sends out the dangerous message that those who witness human rights violations behind closed doors should not speak out,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“It is ironic that it is Snowden who is being treated like a spy when his act of courage drew attention to the fact that the US and UK governments were illegally spying on millions of people without their consent," says Salil Shetty managing director of Amnesty International. 

The Pirate Party in Iceland is in favour of granting Edward Snowden Icelandic citizenship.