Snowden criticizes Russia for crackdown on Internet freedom

Edward Snowden, the U.S. intelligence leaker granted asylum in Russia in August 2013, has criticized his country of residence for its crackdown on Internet freedom and gay rights in a speech after receiving a Norwegian prize, British daily The Guardian reported Saturday.

Snowden, 32, was awarded the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression’s Bjornson prize for his work on the right to privacy, the report said. The former NSA contractor, who is wanted in the U.S. on charges of theft and espionage and therefore cannot leave Russia for fear of arrest, participated in the awards ceremony via videophone from Russia. In his acceptance speech, he condemned the country’s tightening grip over online activities and treatment of gay people as “fundamentally wrong.”