A federal judge in the city of Alexandria, Virginia, has ruled that the US government is entitled to receive the proceeds from the sale of a book titled Permanent Record by former US intelligence officer Edward Snowden, The Washington Post reported.
The judge, who ruled in favour of the US government, noted that "the wording of non-disclosure agreements is unambiguous". Snowden's lawyers in turn said they did not agree with the court's decision and would consider further options.
The US Department of Justice civil lawsuit against Snowden was filed separately from a criminal case against him over disclosing classified information. The American authorities say that since Snowden gained popularity due to the appropriation of state information, he does not have the right to profit from a book published by him in several countries.
In June 2013, Snowden handed over a series of classified materials about UK and US intelligence programmes to The Washington Post and The Guardian. He fled to Hong Kong, and then to Moscow, where he spent some time in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport.
Russia granted Snowden temporary shelter for a year, provided that he ceases his activities against the United States. In August 2014, Snowden received a three-year residence permit, which allows him to travel not only in Russia, but also abroad. In January 2017, his residence permit was extended until 2020.
