Edward Snowden asks to return to US; Trump to 'take a look' at pardoning

Edward Snowden, a former US intelligence contractor who revealed in 2013 that the US government was spying on its citizens, has said he would like to return to his home country, but only on the condition of a fair trial.

However, the US President Donald Trump has said he will "take a look" at pardoning Snowden.

The former intelligence contractor leaked information and acted as a whistleblower revealing that agents from the National Security Agency (NSA) were conducting a widespread surveillance on the US citizens. However, the United States, in retaliation,accused Snowden of putting national security at risk and declined his claims. Following this,he faces the danger of a conviction on espionage charges that could send him to prison for decades.

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Snowden has taken exile in Russia since then. Earlier, then-President Barack Obama had tried to set a motion for pardoning Snowden, but had failed to do so.

Now, when the local reporters asked the current President if he would be willing to, or planning to, pardon Snowden, Trump claimed to not know a lot about his case. He also added that the controversyis a "split decision."

"Many people think that he should be somehow treated differently and other people think he did very bad things," he said, and added, "I'm going to take a look at that very strongly."

This statement, given by the President from his media briefing from the Beminster, New Jerseygolf field, was a surprise after he made strong remarks against Snowden during his 2016 Presidential campaing, saying,"I think he's a total traitor and I would deal with him harshly."