Edward Snowden is willing to return to the US if he is guaranteed a fair trial

Edward Snowden said he is willing to be extradited to the United States – if the federal government guarantees he would get a fair trial.

The former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, who faces charges that could see him jailed for up to 30 years, was speaking via Skype to the New Hampshire Liberty Forum.

He told supporters: “I’ve told the government I would return if they would guarantee a fair trial where I can make a public interest defence of why this was done and allow a jury to decide.”

In 2013, Snowden left the country and leaked details of a secret government eavesdropping program in thousands of classified NSA documents. He was granted asylum in Russia.

He has previously spoken of making offers to the government to return home and his willingness to discuss a plea deal and even go to jail. Last year, former US attorney general Eric Holder said a plea deal with Snowden was a possibility, but Snowden told the BBC in an interview in October that he and his lawyers were still waiting to hear from the government.

His revelations about the NSA, Britain’s GCHQ and other intelligence agencies set off an international debate about spies’ powers to monitor personal communications, and about the balance between security and privacy. Critics say his disclosures harmed the ability of the United States and its allies to fight terrorism.

To some, he is a traitor; to others, a hero.