American whistleblower Edward Snowden wants to stay in Russia longer. He has asked the authorities to extend his residence permit for another three years, reports Russian news agency TASS.

According to his lawyer in Russia, obtaining Russian citizenship is not currently under discussion.

Snowden, 36, has been in Russia since 2013 after the United States revoked his passport. The Americans want to prosecute him for espionage.

Snowden was an employee of the CIA Secret Service and worked temporarily with the National Security Agency (NSA) Secret Service.

He gave the newspapers The Washington Post and The Guardian secret documents about NSA espionage activities involving telecommunications companies and European governments.