Snowden to join Freedom of the Press Foundation as board member

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is reportedly joining the board of a non-profit organization co-founded by leaker of Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg.

The whistleblower, who sparked global debate about the need for individual privacy amidst national security, is currently under a temporary asylum in Russia.

According to the New York Times, the Freedom of the Press Foundation's board already includes two of the journalists Snowden gave the controversial classified documents to , former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras.

The organization is trying to emphasise parallels between Snowden and Ellsberg, who has also been charged with espionage because he gave the Pentagon Papers, a classified history of decision-making about the Vietnam War, to media outlets.

Ellsberg said that Snowden is not a traitor, but a hero who has done more for the Constitution in terms of the Fourth and First Amendment, adding that he was proud that Snowden would serve alongside him on the group's board.

In a statement provided by the foundation, Snowden said that he was honored to serve the cause of a free press alongside extraordinary Americans like Daniel Ellsberg.

The report said that Snowden would participate in board meetings by a remote link, as he is currently serving asylum in Russia.

The foundation was started 14 months ago for the initial purpose of enabling donations to WikiLeaks after firms like PayPal, MasterCard, and Visa began refusing to process contributions, the report added.