Ex-US lawmaker starts Snowden clemency petition

Former Republican congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul has started a petition drive to pressure the Obama administration to grant clemency to former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who is charged with espionage over leaks about the government's surveillance programmes.
Paul's push for clemency would have to be granted by President Barack Obama. Earlier this week, Paul's son, Republican Sen. Rand Paul, a potential presidential candidate in 2016, filed a lawsuit against Obama and other top administration officials to stop the surveillance programmes, which Sen. Paul contends are violations of 4th amendment constitutional protections against unreasonable searches.
Ron Paul said in a video post that he wants Snowden to return to the US without facing prosecution before his amnesty in Russia expires at the end of July.