Lon Snowden, the father of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, is visiting his son in Russia where he said that Edward deserves to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his leaking of government documents related to the NSA surveillance program, according to CNN.
Edward Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia after he had become stuck at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport with no travel documents while trying to travel from Hong Kong to South America. After being trapped in the airport with no documents and unable to leave for a little over a month the Russian government gave Snowden asylum, angering the United States.
Snowden had recently been nominated for the Andrei Sakharov Prize, an award given out by the European Parliament to people who have stood up against oppression, but he did not win, according to CNN.
"Edward took the Sakharov prize nomination very calmly," Lon Snowden said. "He wanted to expose the injustices in the American system, and wasn't doing it with any awards in mind."
Lon Snowden was met at the airport by his son's lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, and was not even sure if he would be seeing his son. Edward Snowden has kept a very low profile since arriving in Russia, according to the Washington Post.
"I've had no direct contact with my son despite previous reports," Lon Snowden said. "If the opportunity presents itself I certainly hope I'll be able to meet my son."
Kucherena told reporters that Snowden has been learning how to speak Russian and has been spending his time reading books by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and other Russian authors in order to soak in the culture. Snowden also has a girlfriend, according to CNN.
"I'm here to learn more about my son's situation," Lon Snowden said. "I'm thankful, extremely thankful, to the Russian people, President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Kucherena and his staff for their help in keeping my son safe and secure.
"I'm not sure my son will be able to return to the U.S. That's his decision," Snowden continued. "I'm his father. I love my son."
