14 DAY TRIAL // Two members of the German Green Party are arguing that Germany should consider granting Edward Snowden asylum, not from revenge, but from a moral duty.
In a piece written for the New York Times, two politicians, Malte Spitz, a privacy activist and Hans-Christian Ströbele, member of the Bundestag and of the intelligence committee, argue that the country should extend a helping hand to Edward Snowden for the things he’s helped reveal.
“All of our current knowledge about this surveillance is thanks to one man, Edward J. Snowden. Without him, Ms. Merkel would still be a target for monitoring, and surveillance of German diplomats, businessmen and ordinary citizens would be continuing, undetected,” the two wrote.
They argue that without his revelations there would have been none of the discussions that took place in the German Bundestag, the European Parliament and the American Congress about how to offer better protection for citizens’ privacy.
The two not only say that Germany should offer Snowden a safe and permanent residence, but that it would have no obligation to extradite him. Furthermore, the treaty between the two countries clearly forbids extradition if a person is being prosecuted for a political crime such as espionage or treason, something the US has accused Snowden of.
The politicians admit that taking such a step would put an even bigger strain on the relationship between their country and the United States, but this wouldn’t be a decision taken from revenge or as retaliation, but based on fundamental values and a moral duty.
“Mr. Snowden’s revelations are not to blame for our strained relationship with America; what’s to blame is illegal spying that affects every single person, all the way up to the chancellor. We see this comprehensive surveillance as the beginning of a meltdown of civil rights and liberties and the rule of law,” they carry on, pointing out the real root of the scandal.