Wait, isn't Russia the "first to stand against human rights violations carried out by the powerful rather than the powerless"? You kidder, you, Edward Snowden.
Edward Snowden will be more than happy to receive asylum from Germany or Australia but they don't exactly line for that.
So he had to settle on Russia.
He had to settle on Russia because his first choice, China, sent him packing.
Exactly what I was thinking. Snowden is either highly delusional or completely out of options. As soon as he doesn't play ball with Putin, he'll be in jail with all the other troublemakers.
I can't believe your comment got downvoted.
Of course he's out of options - you'd think an NSA employee would know that Russia isn't exactly a bastion of freedom and justice... But jailtime is worse...