Protesters in support of Edward Snowden, a contractor at the National Security Agency (NSA), hold a photo of him during a demonstration outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong in this June 13, 2013 file photo. Snowden, left Hong Kong on a flight for Moscow on June 23, 2013 and his final destination may be Ecuador or Iceland, the South China Morning Post said. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower sought by US authorities on espionage charges, departed the Chinese territory by commercial airliner on Sunday morning local time and is en route to Moscow, the South China Morning Post reported.
Russia will not be his eventual destination, the report said. The paper quoted Hong Kong’s government as saying the 30-year-old left “of his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel”.
Snowden is reported to be on Aeroflot flight SU23, scheduled to arrive in Moscow at 5.15pm local time (2.15pm BST).
Russian news agencies Interfax and Itar-Tass reported Snowden is booked on a flight from Moscow to Cuba on Monday. Itar-Tass said Snowden would fly from Havana to Caracas, Venezuela.
Wikileaks has issued the following statement early Sunday morning:
Mr Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who exposed evidence of a global surveillance regime conducted by US and UK intelligence agencies, has left Hong Kong legally. He is bound for a democratic nation via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks.
Mr Snowden requested that WikiLeaks use its legal expertise and experience to secure his safety. Once Mr Snowden arrives at his final destination his request will be formally processed.
Former Spanish Judge Mr Baltasar Garzon, legal director of Wikileaks and lawyer for Julian Assange has made the following statement:
“The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr Snowden’s rights and protecting him as a person. What is being done to Mr Snowden and to Mr Julian Assange – for making or facilitating disclosures in the public interest – is an assault against the people”.
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This article originally appeared on: Common Dreams