Do the French Want Edward Snowden?

French magazine L'Express uses Change.org to petition François Hollande to grant the NSA whistleblower asylum

Oliver Stone may have purchased the film rights to Edward Snowden's life story, but it seems as if the French are aiming for the rights to Snowden's freedom by petitioning to grant him political asylum. 

Snowden's Russian visa is set to expire in July and it's unclear what will happen to him once this occurs. Leaving nothing to chance, French magazine L'Express has taken to the online petition site Change.org to put the pressure on President François Hollande to welcome Snowden as a political refugee citing France's history as a country "known for human rights and freedom of the press."

The petition, which was launched last week, is about 45,000 votes shy of its 200,000 signature goal, though a press release from Change.org notes that some high-profile French figures have signed on to the document including former Prime Minister Michel Rocard, former member of the European Parliament Daniel Cohn-Bendit, and author Caroline Fourest. 

In March, Reason TV caught up with Change.org founder Ben Rattray at the 2014 SxSW Interactive Festival and discussed the power of online platforms like Change.org to spur social change.