The Greens/EFA group has nominated whistleblower Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination was submitted today in accordance with the procedure set out by the Nobel Committee (1). Commenting on the nomination, Greens/EFA co-presidents Rebecca Harms and Dany Cohn-Bendit stated:

"The Greens/EFA group has nominated Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize as a symbol of our support for him and his courageous action. Edward Snowden has risked his freedom to shed light on the systematic infringements of the basic rights of EU citizens by US and European secret services through their mass surveillance programmes. He deserves true recognition for this and not to be bundled off into asylum in Russia."

(1) According to the conditions set out by the Nobel Committee, this is an individual nomination which is open to "members of national assemblies and governments of states". http://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/peace/index.html