Snowden Cares About Human Rights Situation in Russia - Lawyer

US whistleblower Edward Snowden's criticism of the situation with human and internet rights in Russia proves he is not indifferent to what is going on in the country, Snowden’s lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In his recent interview with Al Jazeera news network, the whistleblower said there were human rights violations in Russia, just as in other countries around the globe. He expressed concern, in particular, about the violations in the sphere of internet freedom.

"A lot of people are asking questions — how come Snowden resides in Russia and criticizes our government for violations in terms of rights on the Internet… That is the way he is, and his actions show once again that he is not indifferent to what is happening in terms of human rights," Kucherena told RIA Novosti.

Former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Snowden broke into the international limelight in 2013, following the disclosure of classified documents about long-term US intelligence data collection in Europe and many other targets around the world.

In August 2013, Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia, one year later, he received a three-year residency permit in the country.

He could face up to 30 years in prison for espionage and theft of government property in the United States.