In the summer of 2013, whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked classified documents to journalists - which revealed the US's massive surveillance of telecommunications and data traffic worldwide.

The former CIA employee fled the country and now lives in Russia. US President Donald Trump has previously called Snowden a "traitor" and "a spy who should be executed", reports Reuters. But now the president's tone is different.

Trump: "Let's look at it"

In an interview with the New York Post earlier this week, Trump said that "many people think he is not being treated fairly." The president developed his reasoning on Saturday and said he was considering pardoning Edward Snowden.

"I'm going to take a closer look," Trump told a news conference at the Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, according to Reuters.

"In the interest of humanity"

Snowden's Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena does not believe a pardon is sufficient - but wants the United States to drop all charges against his client.

- He acted not only in the interest of American citizens, he acted in the interest of all mankind, the lawyer told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.