Iceland's Pirate Party Ready to Assist in Granting Citizenship to Snowden

The Icelandic Pirate Party, which advocates civil rights and information transparency, is ready to assist former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden in receiving citizenship of the country, if he makes such a request, party member Sunna Aevarsdottir told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Pirate Party was ready to grant asylum to the famous whistleblower when he leaked classified documents to the media, exposing the US government surveillance program, but was not able to present a proposal for parliament's consideration under the current government, she said

"He would need to apply for citizenship in Iceland and we would need to see if there is any practical way to provide his security here in Iceland…," Aevarsdottir, who is also running for the second seat of the Southwest Constituency, said.

"As we said before if Snowden would be interested in coming here and receiving citizenship, we would do our best to grant it to him and to give him safe haven," she said but added that Snowden was "significantly more secure in Russia."

Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia in 2013. A year later he received a three-year residence permit to live in the country.

The Icelandic Pirate Party gained momentum in April, when thousands of angry Icelanders took to the streets after the release of the Panama Papers revealing a corruption in Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson’s government. These protests led to his resignation and new elections.

Polls predict the party is poised to win the parliamentary elections, which will take place this Sunday.