Edward Snowden News Update: Hero and Villain Issues Statement from Russia, Slams Dad and Attorneys Over WikiLeaks and Greenwald Criticism, ACLU Agrees

We’ve got the latest news update on Edward Snowden, the renegade hero and villain who alerted the world that the American government was spying on its own citizens. In a statement he wrote from Russia, Edward slams his own father and the attorneys who represent the older Snowden, for criticizing WikiLeaks and Glenn Greenwald. Also, the ACLU has come out supporting the whistleblower.

WikiLeaks and Glenn Greenwald have done a lot for Edward Snowden. Of course, the reverse has proved true as well.

And that’s probably one of the reason Snowden has decided to go on the attack. In a statement e-mailed to The Huffington Post, Snowden writes:

“It has come to my attention that news organizations seeking information regarding my current situation have, due to the difficulty in contacting me directly, been misled by individuals associated with my father into printing false claims about my situation.

I would like to correct the record: I've been fortunate to have legal advice from an international team of some of the finest lawyers in the world, and to work with journalists whose integrity and courage are beyond question. There is no conflict amongst myself and any of the individuals or organizations with whom I have been involved.

Neither my father, his lawyer Bruce Fein, nor his wife Mattie Fein represent me in any way. None of them have been or are involved in my current situation, and this will not change in the future. I ask journalists to understand that they do not possess any special knowledge regarding my situation or future plans, and not to exploit the tragic vacuum of my father's emotional compromise for the sake of tabloid news.

Thank you.”

The ACLU also came to the defense of Mr. Snowden, saying:

“As we have said before, we believe that the information Mr. Snowden has disclosed about the nature, scope, and putative legal authorization of the NSA’s surveillance operations has generated a remarkable and long-overdue public debate about the legality and propriety of the government’s surveillance activities. The ACLU has long held the view that leaks to the press in the public interest should not be prosecutable under the nation’s espionage laws.”