MOSCOW — Recently sworn-in Russian and champion of civil liberties Edward Snowden is beginning to suspect that the government in Moscow may be spying on the nation’s 143 million citizens, according to multiple sources.
“I can’t put my finger on it,” said Snowden to his friend and GRU handler Ivanna Belyaev. “I can’t shake the feeling that the government might be infringing on our right to privacy.”
“How do you mean?” replied Belyaev. “Please speak clearly into the totally normal coffee mug President Putin gave you as welcome present.”
Snowden, who was granted Russian citizenship last September and subsequently took an oath of allegiance to the state, admitted to being shaken by the possibility that a government subject to the whims of a former KGB agent for the past two decades might not respect the rights of its citizens. Although he couldn’t articulate the basis of his newfound concern, one friend, who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity because, well, Russia, said Snowden seemed to become suspicious after a recent Christmas party.
