Swedish professor nominates Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize
- Stefan Svallfors, sociology professor at Umeå University, nominated Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize
- Snowden will not be eligible for this year’s prize, which will be awarded in December 2013 – but could be considered for 2014
- The NSA whistleblower would have a hard time accepting the award, as he has already unsuccessfully applied for asylum in Norway
A sociology professor in Sweden has recommended NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee and published in Swedish newspaper Västerbottens-Kuriren, Professor Stefan Svallfors nominated Snowden for his ‘heroic effort at great personal cost’ shedding light on the expansive cyber-spying conducted by the U.S. National Security Agency.
Because of his bravery, Snowden ‘helped to make the world a little bit better and safer,’ Svallfors wrote.
A nomination for Snowden would be symbolic because it shows ‘that individuals can stand up for fundamental rights and freedoms.’
History: The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to 124 times since 1901
Svallfors compares Snowden’s act to the rulings in the Nuremberg trials of 1945 because ‘I was just following orders’ was not held as a viable excuse for the Nazis who carried out human rights atrocities.
Svallfors also believes this will help the Peace Prize regain some of respect it lost after prematurely awarding Barack Obama the award in 2009.
‘It would show its willingness to stand up in defense of civil liberties and human rights, even when such a defense [could] be viewed with disfavor by the world’s dominant military power.’
But it may be too late for Snowden to receive the award this year.
Nominations for laureates must be postmarked no later than February 1 for consideration in the following December’s prizes.
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OUr country’s history has oppressed freedom for Native Americans, enslaved people who were brought here against their will and government sanctioned. We jailed American citizens for no other reason than they were Japanese during the war.
We aren’t exactly a sterling example of human or civil rights in the U.S. Now Snowden is trying to show us we aren’t as free as we think because ALL of us are monitored without our knowledge. We are deprived of our constitutional rights to confront our accusers and have access to the courts. If you are one of those who thinks that if your skirt is clean you have nothing to worry about, think again. A nation of Jews were exterminated having done nothing!
The Secret Courts described is nothing more than a one-sided sham to allow the Government to access our information without permission. It is Illegal to do what our government is doing in the name of fear. It far oversteps the need or purpose but the fact that it was done secretly is extremely dangerous. We run prisons throughout the world to house political prisoners off our soil so they have no trials or rights. WHO are we to deny basic access to the Courts to hear both sides of a conflict?
This is not a partisan usurpation of power, it goes across both parties and if we don’t stand up an scream we are complacent fools. The U.S. is rioting in this nation right now over depriving a young black man of his life, though he was unarmed. His killer stalked him for no other reason than his race, has now been exonerated. WE are outraged!
WHERE is YOUR outrage over having your right to privacy violated and Snowden who told you about the secret surveillance and the government’s secret one sided court because of his ethical and moral views is pursued, charged, denied his right to travel, hunted down like an animal, just because he told the truth about the government’s unconstitutional, illegal actions!!!
WAKE UP AMERICA!! Snowden is a whistleblower and a hero!