Snowden Willing to Serve Jail Time in US

​ During a televised interview with the BBC, aired on Monday, whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed he was willing to face prison time in the United States.

“I've volunteered to go to prison with the government many times, what I won't do is I won't serve as a deterrent to people trying to do the right thing in difficult situations,” he told “Panorama” host Peter Taylor.

When asked by Taylor if he would be prepared to serve time in jail, Snowden responded confidently, “of course.”

As the former NSA contractor explained, his lawyers have been in contact with U.S. authorities to negotiate the terms of his return.

“So far they've said they won't torture me, which is a start, I think, but we haven't got much further than that … we are still waiting for them to call us back,” Snowden explained.

During the episode, Taylor also interviewed a former CIA and NSA director, Gen. Michael Hayden, who predicted that Snowden would die in Russia.

“If you’re asking me, my opinion? He's gonna die in Moscow, he is not coming home,” he said, in a chilling statement.

It's not about me. It's about whether you'd rather know the truth. http://t.co/T1X5ddHlWM pic.twitter.com/UQx6BahSoH

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) octubre 5, 2015

Snowden recently opened a Twitter account.

The NSA whistleblower, who was granted asylum in Russia in 2013, further added he does not have any remorse after leaking hundreds of classified cables, detailing massive government surveillance programs.

However, he did lament not revealing this information sooner, as he worked with the NSA for four years and with the CIA for another four years before revealing the massive surveillance scheme.

“I regret that I didn’t come forward sooner. Because the longer you wait with programs like these, the more deeply entrenched they become,” he explained.

In a deeper reflection of his actions, Snowden expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his actions so far, despite having to flee the U.S.

“I have paid a price but I'm comfortable with the decisions that I've made. If I'm gone tomorrow, I'm happy with what I've got, I feel blessed,” he said.

If he returns to the U.S., the former contractor would be charged under the Espionage Act, specifically for theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willfully providing classified information to unauthorized sources.

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