What does the US deal mean for Edward Snowden?

After nearly a decade and a half of legal wrangling, Julian Assange is a free man this week. The WikiLeaks founder spent more than five years in a high-security prison in London and in previous years was exiled to the Ecuadorian embassy in Great Britain to avoid extradition to the United States.

The Australian was at the center of a major spy scandal for 14 years – and is considered one of the biggest whistleblowers in recent history. Since Wednesday, the 52-year-old has been free despite his conviction and has now landed in his homeland after striking a surprise deal with US authorities.

Assange has not yet commented on the hardships of the past few years, but his wife Stella said on Thursday morning (local time) that he had suffered physical and mental hardships during the past twelve years in prison and exile: “So it's obvious that his health is taking a serious toll and that's how it really is with him. We will certainly try to carry out all the necessary tests to see.

Apart from Julian Assange, the US has also been demanding the extradition of whistleblower Edward Snowden for years. Does he have renewed confidence after his latest deal?