14 DAY TRIAL // The US authorities are not happy about the NSA leaks, but at the very least they seem to avoid bullying the media. The US Justice Department has just announced it has no plans to prosecute Glenn Greenwald.
The journalist who has been in contact with Edward Snowden since the entire story started will not be the subject of a prosecution from the American authorities.
Greenwald is an American lawyer turned journalist who is currently based in Brazil. He has been the source of numerous stories based on Snowden’s files and continues to work the files.
"Unless information that has not come to my attention is presented to me, what I have indicated in my testimony before Congress is that any journalist who's engaged in true journalistic activities is not going to be prosecuted by this Justice Department," Holder told The Washington Post.
“I certainly don't agree with what Greenwald has done. In some ways, he blurs the line between advocate and journalist. But on the basis of what I know now, I'm not sure there is a basis for prosecution of Greenwald," Holder continued.
Across the pond, in the UK, things are rather different when it comes to the government’s attitude towards the media, and numerous human rights organizations and even the United Nations have expressed concern over the freedom of the media in the country.
On the other hand, however, whistleblowers aren’t that protected. Edward Snowden is facing three felony charges with a maximum of ten years in prison each. Although a petition has been signed by over 100,000 people, the minimum required by the system, there’s been no word from the White House regarding the issue.
US officials are apparently still trying to get Snowden back from Russia where he was granted temporary asylum. So far, discussions aren’t going in the favor of the US, as Russia maintains the attitude it’s had over the past months.