On 1 December, US whistleblower Edward Snowden addressed the Swedish parliament by video from Russia as he was given the Right Livelihood award for his exposure of NSA spying on an industrial scale.
No one collected the award on his behalf, as his family and supporters said they hoped that one day Snowden might be able to receive it in person – he is wanted for ‘espionage’ by the US government.
The awards jury said Snowden was honoured ‘for his courage and skill in revealing the unprecedented extent of state surveillance violating basic democratic processes and constitutional rights’.
Topics: Civil liberties