Story highlights The vote, which was 285-281, has no legal force

Snowden calls it a "game-changer"

He's wanted in the United States on three felony counts, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act

(CNN) The European Parliament voted Thursday in support of a resolution that calls on member states to protect Edward Snowden from extradition.

The vote, which has no legal force, was 285-281. The resolution urges nations to drop criminal charges and "consequently prevent extradition or rendition by third parties, in recognition of his status as whistle-blower and international human rights defender."

Snowden, a former contractor at the U.S. National Security Agency, leaked documents about top secret mass surveillance programs. He fled the United States in 2013 and spent more than a month living in Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport before being granted asylum.

On Twitter, Snowden called Thursday's vote 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.

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