Snowden was not on Obama's list of commutations or pardons. "Snowden's residence permit has just been extended by two years," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page. Snowden has been living in exile in Russia since 2013, where he ended up after spending weeks in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. He was initially granted permission to stay in Russia for one year amid the rapid deterioration in Moscow's relations with Washington. Snowden welcomed the action on Manning's sentence, writing on Twitter: "Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama."

Source: The Nation Bangkok January 18, 2017 09:19 UTC