Efforts have been made in the past to have Alþingi grant Edward Snowden Icelandic citizenship. Photo: AFP

The Icelandic Pirate Party (‘Píratar’), the new force in Icelandic politics according to recent opinion polls, has in the past been in favour of granting Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency employee wanted by the US on charges of theft and espionage, Icelandic citizenship.

Previous attempt failed

In July 2013, a group of six MPs, including all three MPs from the Pirate Party, moved a parliamentary bill calling for the Icelandic Parliament (‘Alþingi’) to grant Snowden immediate Icelandic citizenship. Article 6 of the Icelandic Citizenship Act empowers Alþingi to grant citizenship to a given individual by means of a simple vote. The bill was rejected by Alþingi back in 2013.

Pirates now top in Iceland

As reported by mbl.is yesterday, latest opinion polls suggest that the Pirate Party now enjoys the widest popular support of all Icelandic parties, achieving 23.4%. A news item published on the ars technica website includes speculation as to whether a ruling Pirate Party might revive such a bill.

Could a Pirate Party in government revive a bill to give Snowden Icelandic citizenship? Photo: Þórður Arnar Þórðarson

Interesting precedent

With a potential 23.4% of Alþingi seats and a sympathetic coalition partner or partners, the Pirate Party might even be able to garner a parliamentary majority to push the bill through.

The most famous precedent for parliamentary granting of Icelandic citizenship was the American chess champion Bobby Fischer. Fischer was wanted by the US on charges on having competed in Yugoslavia in 1992, when the country was under a United Nations embargo. Alþingi granted Fischer Icelandic citizenship in March 2005 and he lived in Icelandic until his death in 2008.

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Poll: Pi­rates re­ceive 23.4% in Ice­land