A group of U.S. whistleblower advocates has met with Edward Snowden in Russia to present him with an award for his revelations about spying by the National Security Agency. On Wednesday, Snowden met with attorney Jesselyn Radack and her client, NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake, as well as former CIA analyst Ray McGovern and former FBI agent Coleen Rowley. They gave Snowden an award from the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence, a group of former CIA officials. Jesselyn Radack described the impact of Snowden’s disclosures in an interview with RT.

Jesselyn Radack: “It’s a dangerous time for whistleblowers in the United States, but the effect, the Snowden effect, has been the opposite. We have more and more whistleblowers coming to the Government Accountability Project than we have had before. So I think if the U.S. is trying to clamp down and send a message by making an example, courage is contagious, and I really think he has had a wonderful effect for the U.S. and for the world.”