In an ironic turn of events, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russia – with its own history of persecuting whistleblowers – would consider granting asylum to Snowden. Russia has been making a name for itself by denying extradition requests. This lack of cooperation stems, in part, from the fact that they have not signed a bilateral extradition treaty with the US, and that the Russian Constitution forbids extraditing nationals to foreign countries. This most recently came up during discussions of extraditing Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, mother of the alleged Boston bombers.
If Snowden requests it, Russia might welcome him with open arms and maybe even give him the Depardieu treatment. While fleeing allegations of tax evasion, President Vladimir Putin personally granted Gerard Depardieu, the prolific and outspoken French actor, Russian citizenship and protection from his pursuers. But it is unclear whether Snowden, with his much-touted ideals, would accept sanctuary in a country notorious for its treatment of political dissidents.
