Edward Snowden should not face trial, says UN human rights commissioner
Source: The Guardian
The United Nations's top human rights official has suggested that the United States should abandon its efforts to prosecute Edward Snowden, saying his revelations of massive state surveillance had been in the public interest.
The UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, credited Snowden, a former US National Security Agency contractor, with starting a global debate that has led to calls for the curtailing of state powers to snoop on citizens online and store their data.
"Those who disclose human rights violations should be protected: we need them," Pillay told a news conference.
"I see some of it here in the case of Snowden, because his revelations go to the core of what we are saying about the need for transparency, the need for consultation," she said. "We owe a great deal to him for revealing this kind of information."
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/16/edward-snowden-should-not-face-trial-un-human-rights-commissioner-navi-pillay?CMP=twt_gu
Demeter
(85,373 posts)I'm sure I speak on behalf of all humans. Those who don't agree probably are mechanical engines of death like Darth Cheney, not human.
truth2power
(8,219 posts)The US is exceptional!! Isn't that what our Great Leader is always telling us?
We don't need no stinkin' human rights official tellin' us what to do. No indeedy.
USA! USA!
ballyhoo
(2,060 posts)to be stating that, and also important to me who realizes what Snowden did, virtually postponing our entrance to fascism for at least a brief time. The US will most probably not follow your suggestion either directly or in actuality. Snowden should stay where he is for as long as he can. There should be emerging States that may one day take him.
Response to Luminous Animal (Original post)
1000words This message was self-deleted by its author.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)Pillay mentioned this months ago on some phone calls she made to friends. It's all under control.
And there were a few other things on those calls that... well, let's just say that Ms. Pillay may want to do some favors for us down the line, or certain information could fall into the wrong hands.
Regards,
NSA Manny
vlakitti
(401 posts)That was mean.
Overseas
(12,121 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,497 posts)that is on the front page right now. He wants to carry his guns in public sooo bad that he comes up with crazy conspiracies, name calling.... They want the surveillance soooo bad that Snowden cannot be a whistleblower because that would mean that what they are doing is wrong, out of bounds, unconstitutional whatever!
Recursion
(56,582 posts)It's legal government activity we wish weren't legal, but still.
Drake was a whistleblower in 2005. Congress (including then-Senator Obama) nearly broke its neck rushing back into session to make what Snowden revealed legal.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)It's why I'm much more sympathetic with Drake than I am with Snowden, at any rate.
questionseverything
(9,659 posts)60,000 warrants at a time is not legal
nsa spying on citizens and forwarding tips to dea, dea doing a parallel construction, not legal
nsa picking winners and losers in business not legal
nsa reinventing english language by secretly interpreting the patriot act's "relevant to mean everything",not legal
solicitor general has lied to the sc twice over this illegal activity
i am not gonna bother to link up because anyone paying attention should know this is going on.these are just examples off the top of my head
if you and other random individuals do not believe in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, i guess that is your choice but it is still the law off the land
Recursion
(56,582 posts)The law that Congress (including then-Senator Obama) passed after Drake's leak is pretty clear in its vagueness. What part of what Snowden revealed do you consider illegal?
questionseverything
(9,659 posts)the patriot act/telecommunications act do not over rule it...it would take an amendment to do that
just because we currently have a corrupt supreme court that does not change
"building the haystack", or keeping files on every persons private communications without probable cause is illegal
840high
(17,196 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)Why is this person to be above the law?
totodeinhere
(13,059 posts)They only have to establish reasonable doubt. It is up to the prosecution to prove guilt.
George II
(67,782 posts)wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)they've been trying cases for decades even when the defendant is absent. He would be suicided if he came back.
He sure would be.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Or his supporters claim he should not even have to be in the position where the government even has to try to prove anything! Why the heck is he above the law?
totodeinhere
(13,059 posts)with international standards regarding such matters. Our country has granted asylum to a lot of people as well.
treestar
(82,383 posts)And the Russian-given asylum is political, not because he would truly be persecuted and not receive a fair trial.
imthevicar
(811 posts)I wish their was a Like Button.
Zorro
(15,749 posts)He's earned his day in court.
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)The charges are theft, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and willful disclosure of classified communications to an unauthorized person. The last two are crimes under the 1917 espionage act. They would probably also hit him with misuse of a government computer (that basically hits every government employee, nowadays).
The one where they really have him dead to rights, IMO, is his description of our espionage activities against China to the South China Daily, which SCD alleges included which computers of theirs we had compromised and how.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)The administration knows this.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)the press.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)The Obama administration has chosen the.most punitive path instead.
Snowden is being lauded by an ever increasing number of people and countries.
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)You know what happens to whistleblowers in the national security area, right?
NealK
(1,879 posts)cascadiance
(19,537 posts)We need to bring him back for trial on that shouldn't we? After all Audrey's dead because of his treason!
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)[center]WANTED: For destruction of the environment, pollution of the electoral-process and grand theft of democracy and justice. Both are considered to be armed with paid security flunkies, deranged, and without a shred of a soul. Do not approach them as the stench of their characters alone can be over-powering. If you see either one of these individual run, don't call a cop. They own them too.
[/center]
C Moon
(12,221 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,417 posts)DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)[center][/center]
Uncle Joe
(58,417 posts)Joe Shlabotnik
(5,604 posts)BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)But the national security state and its minions will demand their pound of flesh since Snowden exposed them.
George II
(67,782 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Our founders recognized those rights as universal. So does Ms Pillay.
NealK
(1,879 posts)JoeyT
(6,785 posts)right wing Democrats can finally join right wing Republicans in screaming about how awful the UN is.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)NealK
(1,879 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)Whether Snowden faces trial or not is indicative of what kind of society we have. As is the fact that Ellsberg says the case against him would not be dismissed today. As is the fact that the USG uses our tax money to violate our Constitutional rights--and with apparent impunity, I might add.
However, what happens to Snowden, as important as it may be to him and his family and friends, even as important as it may be for what it says about our country today, pales in importance to the last sentence of the prior paragraph of this post.
Uncle Joe
(58,417 posts)Thanks for the thread, Luminous Animal.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Stryst
(714 posts)sovereignity! The UN can't tell US what to do, cuz... you know, 'murica and stuff!
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)It's the war machine perps who should be on trial. And the heads of the NSA who violated their oaths to protect the constitution. Don't forget NSA should've prevented 911 with their billions instead of running point for the DEA and chasing around those involved with the marijuana industry.
iandhr
(6,852 posts)Countries that are someone of the worlds worst human rights abusers including:
Vietnam
United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Russian Federation (but DU is pro-Russia now despite the anti-gay stuff)
Pakistan
Kazakhstan
are on the human rights council
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/CurrentMembers.aspx
So when the UN talks about human rights it should be taken with a grain on salt.
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)Because we cannot be trusted.
(No, that's NOT sarcasm)
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]
KoKo
(84,711 posts)woo me with science
(32,139 posts)He should be awarded the Medal of Freedom. If he had not come forth with these revelations, we would not have anything near the real chance, at least a chance, we have now to turn back our country from fascism.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Snowden should still face trial for the things he released that weren't in the public interest...
People are getting selective memories...
BelgianMadCow
(5,379 posts)thanks for posting