GAME CHANGER? EU Parliament Votes To ‘Drop Charges’ Against Snowden

21st Century Wire says…

This story has been blacked-out by the US media today, for obvious reasons…

Hearing reports EU just voted 285-281, overcoming huge pressure, to cancel all charges against me and prevent extradition. Game-changer.

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 29, 2015

Expect nothing from Washington DC, so the ball is now in Europe’s lap, but will they actually follow-through with this latest wave of public support for Snowden?

All the while, many are still wondering, is Snowden the real deal?

RT.com

The majority of European Parliament members have voted in favor of asking constituent states to grant protection to whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who has described the move as a ‘game-changer’ and a ‘chance to move forward’.

MEPs have urged EU member states to “drop any criminal charges against Edward Snowden, grant him protection and consequently prevent extradition or rendition by third parties, in recognition of his status as whistle-blower and international human rights defender,” a European Parliament press release stated.

MEPs ask EU member states to grant protection to @Snowden as a #humanrights defender https://t.co/yPxFFMAXhx

— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) October 29, 2015

The call was not unequivocal, however, with 285 MEPs voting for the motion and 281 against, showing just how divided the European political elite remains on the issue.

Still, it’s a victory for Snowden, who sees the result of the voting as a “game-changer.”

“This is not a blow against the US Government, but an open hand extended by friends. It is a chance to move forward,” he wrote on Twitter.

Even a slim majority voting in favor of Snowden means a lot, according to Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden’s lawyer in Russia.

“The resolution of the EU parliament is recognition of Edward’s [Snowden] merits to the mankind, his courage and honesty of his position,” he said as cited by the Interfax news agency.

‘Snowden Treaty’ drafted to end mass surveillance, protect whistleblowers worldwide http://t.co/3312nQ0uhV pic.twitter.com/GZ7RDamG4O

— RT America (@RT_America) September 24, 2015

The European Parliament thoroughly studied Snowden’s leaks and in March 2014 adopted a resolution to protect the personal data of EU citizens.

“The European Parliament’s inquiry into Edward Snowden’s revelations of electronic mass surveillance was the most comprehensive investigation completed to date. This work needs to continue to ensure that civil liberties are defended on the internet too,” Claude Moraes of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Chair of the Civil Liberties Committee and rapporteur on mass surveillance said.

The MEPs now say they are dissatisfied with the lack of action taken following their inquiry. The Thursday resolution, which said that not enough had been done to tackle mass surveillance, received a wider backing with 342 voices for it, 274 against and 29 abstentions.

“EU citizens’ fundamental rights remain in danger” and “too little has been done to ensure their full protection,” the MEPs said…

Continue this story at RT.com

READ MORE SNOWDEN NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Snowden Files

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