Young American whistleblowers taking on the overbearing government are shaping up to be the heroes of the 21st century. Edward Snowden has been making international headlines for months by bringing NSA activities to light, and he has been voted the Guardian 2013 Person of the Year hot on the heels of Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley Manning).
The voting audience found it to be an easy decision as Snowden won with a landslide 1,445 votes. Greenpeace activists Marco Weber and Sini Saarela came in a distant second with 314 votes followed by Pope Frances with 153.
Snowden currently lives in a tenuous situation in Moscow, on the run from US authorities and fearing extradition should he leave his only safe haven. Moscow is only grudgingly welcoming, and has stated that if Snowden were to leave he would not be allowed back in.
Earlier this year in November, Snowden was reported to be in communication with the German parliament discussing the possibility of asylum in exchange for testimony on the international spying habits of the US.
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