EU lawmakers ask member states to protect Edward Snowden

John Bacon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption The European Parliament Calls Snowden a 'Human Rights Defender' The European parliament is asking member states to grant Edward Snowden legal protection, calling him a "human rights defender."

The European Parliament passed a resolution Thursday urging European Union nations to protect former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden from extradition to the United States, calling him an "international human rights defender."

The resolution, barely gaining approval by a 285-281 vote, was a symbolic nod to Snowden and snub to the Obama administration. The White House wants Snowden to return from de facto exile in Russia to face charges that include two counts of violating the Espionage Act and one count of theft of government property.

The resolution calls on 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".

"Game-changer," Snowden tweeted, adding, "This is not a blow against the US Government, but an open hand extended by friends. It is a chance to move forward."

This is not a blow against the US Government, but an open hand extended by friends. It is a chance to move forward. pic.twitter.com/fBs5H32wyD — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 29, 2015

The White House was unmoved by the developments in Europe.

“Our position has not changed,” Ned Price, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a statement. “Mr. Snowden is accused of leaking classified information and faces felony charges here in the United States. As such, he should be returned to the U.S. as soon as possible, where he will be accorded full due process.”

The EU vote came the same day a federal appeals court in New York refused to immediately halt the government's systematic collection of millions of U.S. phone records. A new federal surveillance plan set for November bans the mass collection anyway.

Snowden, 32, is a North Carolina native who worked for the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton when he leaked details of U.S. surveillance programs, including the collection of phone records, to The Guardian and The Washington Post. The first reports were published in June 2013, setting off an immediate global firestorm.

He was in hiding in Hong Kong at the time but fled to Moscow. He stayed in Russia when the U.S. revoked his passport. Now he works in IT in Moscow, consults for several U.S. companies.

Several EU members rejected Snowden's request for asylum. The EU vote could encourage some nations to rethink that position.

"If Snowden traveled to a European country even now, the country could decide not to extradite him or stall the extradition," said Michelle Benson, a political science professor at the University at Buffalo who specializes in international conflict.

In June, the White House dismissed the idea of dropping the charges. Snowden has said he would return to the U.S. if he was guaranteed a fair trial. HIs Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, said in March he had received a letter from then-Attorney General Eric Holder promising Snowden would not face capital punishment.

"They guarantee that Snowden will not be executed, not that he will receive a fair trial," Kucherena said.