Should Snowden Get Nobel Peace Prize?

January 29, 2014, 08:29 am

Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

By Julian Hattem

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Two members of the Norwegian Parliament have nominated Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Snorre Valen and Bård Vegar Solhjell, a former education and environment minister, said that the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor should be rewarded for the disclosures he made about U.S. surveillance programs.

"We do not necessarily condone or support all of his disclosures," they wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

"We are, however, convinced that the public debate and changes in policy that have followed in the wake of Snowden's whistleblowing has contributed to a more peaceful, stable and peaceful world order. His actions have in effect led to the reintroduction of trust and transparency as a leading principle in global security policies. Its value can't be overestimated."

President Obama has pledged to rein in some aspects of the NSA and other intelligence agencies in the wake of Snowden's leaks about the scope of the U.S.'s surveillance.

The disclosures caused widespread outrage both in the U.S. and abroad, where documents revealed that American agents had been snooping on foreign leaders and citizens.

Scores of people and institutions are nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize each year. Snowden's nomination merely guarantees that the five-member Norwegian Nobel committee will consider him for the award.

National lawmakers, academics, former prize winners and members or advisers of the Nobel committee are allowed to submit names to be considered for the Peace Prize.

Nominations are due by Feb. 1. Nobel laureates are announced in October.