Denmark could vote on Snowden asylum, as MPs get inspired by European Parliament resolution

Denmark could vote on providing asylum for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, as two political parties have started pushing the Danish parliament to take a national stance on the issue after a recent EU vote in favor of the move.

The Alternative and the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) political parties have stated they want the Danish parliament to vote on offering the 32-year-old US citizen asylum in Denmark, the national branch of The Local reports.

“Snowden is a democratic hero and it is fantastic that the EU has now gone in front and is holding democracy’s banner high,” Alternative MP Uffe Elbæk said in a statement.

The Red-Green Alliance also backed the idea.

READ MORE: ‘Big move in the right direction’: Snowden may see travel restrictions ease after EU vote

“Edward Snowden has revealed that the American intelligence service has spied on European governments and carried out mass surveillance of the European people so it is in our own interest to protect a brave man like Snowden,” party spokeswoman Pernille Skipper told Berlingske’s Politiko.

However, the Danish parliament’s schedule is very tight, so the vote could only take place sometime in 2016.

The Danish parties’ announcement comes a day after an unprecedented European Parliament resolution, in which the EU lawmakers urged the 28 member states to give asylum to Edward Snowden as a "human rights defender".

MEPs urged member states to "drop any criminal charges against Edward Snowden, grant him protection and consequently prevent extradition or rendition by third parties, in recognition of his status as whistle-blower and international human rights defender."

Edward Snowden has been living in Russia since mid-2013 , facing US charges of espionage and theft of state property. If convicted, Snowden could spend 30 years behind bars.