A White House petition calling for the pardoning of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has surpassed the 100,000 signatures it needs for an official response.

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More than 111,000 people had signed the petition as of midday Monday. The petition requests “a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he [Snowden] has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs,” and refers to him as a “national hero.”


A petition on the White House's “We the People” website needs 100,000 signatures in the first month of being posted to earn an official administration response.

A tense international manhunt is underway for Snowden, who revealed classified documents detailing the NSA’s surveillance of phone and internet traffic.

The 30-year-old former government contractor fled from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday to avoid a U.S. extradition request and is waiting to hear whether he’ll be granted political asylum in Ecuador. He faces federal charges on espionage and theft of government property.