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NSA leaker Snowden stops over in Moscow en route to 'third country' with WikiLeaks help
Whistleblower Edward Snowden has stayed overnight at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. The former CIA contractor, who left Hong Kong in a bid to elude extradition to the US on espionage charges, is on his way to a ‘third country’ via Russia.
The plane allegedly carrying Edward Snowden landed in Moscow shortly after 5pm local time on Sunday.
Crowds of press and bystanders were hoping to grab a glimpse of the world’s most famous whistleblower, but to no avail, although the confirmation has arrived that he is in the terminal building.
After Edward Snowden's plane touched down in Moscow, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino announced via twitter that Snowden had applied for asylum. Meanwhile, Ecuador’s ambassador to Russia, Patricio Chavez, arrived at Sheremetyevo Airport allegedly to greet Snowden.
Snowden is still at the airport, an unnamed source in Sheremetyevo airport management confirmed to Interfax news agency.
"Snowden is a transit passenger, his next flight is to Cuba, he remains in the airport complex – where he’s supposed to be, waiting for the next flight," the source said.
A source at Aeroflot Russian Airlines told the agency that the whistleblower, who is accompanied by WikiLeaks representative, Sarah Harrison, has rented a suit at the airport’s «V-Express» Capsule Hotel.
“He arrived. But he can’t leave the terminal because he doesn’t have a Russian visa,” the source said.
Two cars with diplomatic license plates of Ecuador – the country named among Snowden’s possible destinations – were spotted at Sheremetyevo airport.
reportedly, #Snowden at passport control at VIP terminal in #moscow airport; all cameras discovered our stakeout #wikileaks #news #cia — Irina Galushko (@IrinaGalushkoRT) June 23, 2013
Interfax news agency is citing an unnamed source in Sheremetyevo airport management, saying that Snowden is still at the airport.
"Snowden is a transit passenger, his next flight is to Cuba, he remains in the airport complex – where he’s supposed to be, waiting for the next flight," the source said.
A source in the Aeroflot company told the agency that the whistleblower, who is accompanied by WikiLeaks representative, Sarah Harrison, has rented a suit at the airport’s «V-Express» Capsule Hotel.
“He arrived. But he can’t leave the terminal because he doesn’t have a Russian visa,” the source said.
Two cars with diplomatic numbers of Ecuador – the country named among Snowden’s possible destinations – were spotted at Sheremetyevo airport.
RT’s source reported a doctor from the Ecuadorian embassy in Moscow has examined Snowden on his arrival in the Russian capital.
waiting for #Snowden -- a crowd of journos and confused passengers #wikileaks #cia pic.twitter.com/r8vM1RsKXM — Irina Galushko (@IrinaGalushkoRT) June 23, 2013
WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, told Australian Sydney Morning Herald paper that Snowden will be met by “diplomats from the country that will be his ultimate destination” in the airport, who’ll accompany him on a further flight to his destination.
waiting for #Snowden -- a crowd of journos and confused passengers #wikileaks #cia pic.twitter.com/r8vM1RsKXM
— Irina Galushko (@IrinaGalushkoRT) June 23, 2013
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| A diplomatic car waiting near Sheremetyevo airport. (Photo by Irina Galushko, RT) |
Earlier, a spokesperson from the Hong Kong government confirmed that Edward Snowden had "legally and voluntarily" left the country.
“Mr. Edward Snowden left Hong Kong today (June 23) on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel,” said the Hong Kong government in a press release. The statement also said the documents for Snowden’s extradition submitted by Washington “did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law.”
“As the HKSAR Government has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for a provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong.”
WikiLeaks legal aid
Whistleblowing organization WikiLeaks has rallied behind Snowden and said they are assisting him in his bid for political asylum in a “democratic country.” The group announced on Twitter that they helped obtain “travel documents” and ensured his safe exit from Hong Kong. Diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks legal team is also accompanying the NSA leaker on his flight to Moscow, WikiLeaks said in a statement.
FLASH: Mr. Snowden is currently over Russian airspace accompanied by WikiLeaks legal advisors. — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 23, 2013
A source from Aeroflot told Interfax that Snowden is on flight SU213 to Moscow, landing on Sunday afternoon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was unaware of Snowden’s plans to fly to Moscow. The US has filed an extradition order against Snowden for espionage, theft and conversion of government property.
It is understood that Moscow will not be Snowden’s final destination, he could potentially fly on to Ecuador or Iceland where he has allegedly applied for asylum. A diplomatic source told the Russian news agency Itar-Tass that no request for asylum in Russia had been received from the former CIA employee.
Citing a source close to Snowden, Russian news agency Interfax reported that the whistleblower’s final destination will be Venezuela with a transfer in Havana, Cuba. He will reportedly be on flight SU150 to Havana, leaving Moscow on Monday and then on flight V-04101 to Caracas.
“He chose such a complicated route in the hope that he would not be arrested on the way to his final destination of Venezuela,” the source told Interfax.
The US will seek cooperation with governments of countries where Snowden may go, Justice Department Spokeswoman Nanda Chitre stated on Sunday.
“We will continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel,” she said, as cited by Reuters.
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'More whistleblowers will follow'
The emergence of whistleblowers like Julian Assange, Bradley Manning and now Edward Snowden means the world will have an increasingly clearer view of the actual state of affairs, Pepe Escobar, an Asia Times correspondent in Hong Kong told RT.
“Definitely, we’re going to have a collection of Assanges, Mannings and Snowdens from now on, especially from the US tech geeks who are extremely uncomfortable with this Orwellian panopticon surveillance thing: not only in the US as we’ve seen some revelations on Britain as well. It is an Anglo-American thing. Of course everybody is involved in cyber wars, but the forefront is the US,” Escobar argues.
Don Debar, an anti-war activist and journalist, believes that Snowden’s actions will encourage more whistleblowers to come out.
“You have Bradley Manning and they throw him on ice, basically naked in a cell for a couple of years and threaten him with the death penalty. After him you have Assange and now you have Snowden and I only hope more will come out and people will start to listen here in the United States and do something about it.”
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NSA leaker Snowden on flight to ‘third country’ via Moscow with WikiLeaks help - UPDATED
US whistleblower Edward Snowden is en route to Moscow from Hong Kong on an Aeroflot flight, Hong Kong authorities have confirmed. WikiLeaks are aiding the ex-CIA employee with his political asylum bid in a ‘democratic country.’ The US has filed an extradition order against Snowden for espionage, theft and conversion of government property. A spokesperson from the Hong Kong government confirmed that Edward Snowden had "legally and voluntarily" left the country. “Mr. Edward Snowden left Hong Kong today (June 23) on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel,” said the Hong Kong government in a press release. The statement also said the documents for Snowden’s extradition submitted by Washington “did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law.” “As the HKSAR Government has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for a provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong.” A source from Aeroflot told Interfax that Snowden is on flight SU213 to Moscow, landing on Sunday afternoon. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was unaware of Snowden’s plans to fly to Moscow. It is understood that Moscow will not be Snowden’s final destination, he could potentially fly on to Ecuador or Iceland where he has allegedly applied for asylum. A diplomatic source told the Russian news agency Itar-Tass that no request for asylum in Russia had been received from the former CIA employee. Citing a source close to Snowden, Russian news agency Interfax reported that the whistleblower’s final destination will be Venezuela with a transfer in Havana, Cuba. He will reportedly be on flight SU150 to Havana, leaving Moscow on Monday and then on flight V-04101 to Caracas. “He chose such a complicated route in the hope that he would not be arrested on the way to his final destination of Venezuela,” the source told Interfax.
WikiLeaks legal aid
Whistleblowing organization WikiLeaks has rallied behind Snowden and said they are assisting him in his bid for political asylum in a “democratic country.” The group announced on Twitter that they helped obtain “travel documents” and ensured his safe exit from Hong Kong. A member of the WikiLeaks legal team is also accompanying the NSA leaker on his flight to Moscow.
FLASH: Mr. Snowden is currently over Russian airspace accompanied by WikiLeaks legal advisors.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 23, 2013
'More whistleblowers will follow'
Whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange and Bradley Manning, the world is likely to hear more about the actual state of things says Pepe Escobar, Asia Times correspondent in Hong Kong talking with RT.
“Definitely, we’re going to have a collection of Assanges, Mannings and Snowdens from now on, especially from the US tech geeks who are extremely uncomfortable with this Orwellian panopticon surveillance thing: not only in the US as we’ve seen some revelations on Britain as well. It is an Anglo-American thing. Of course everybody is involved in cyber wars, but the forefront is the US,” Pepe Escobar explains.
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Protesters who return to Taksim are terrorist supporters – Turkish minister
Activists returning to Taksim Square will be considered “supporters or members of a terror group,” Turkey’s EU minister told local media. This comes after police bulldozed the tent camp in Gezi Park in one of the worst nights of violence in Istanbul.“From now on the state will unfortunately have to consider everyone who remains there a supporter or member of a terror organization,” EU Minister Egemen Gagis said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster AHaber on Saturday night. He requested that all the activists returned to their homes.
“Our prime minister has already assured [activists] about their aim with the protests. The protests from now on will play into the hands of some separatist organizations that want to break the peace and prioritize vandalism and terrorism,” stressed Gagis.
PM Tayyip Erdogan, who has been the target for many of the complaints of the protesters, appeared to take a more compromising approach to the demonstrators on Saturday. He agreed to postpone the reconstruction plans for Gezi Park (located beside Taksim Square) that initially riled activists.
However, later in the evening he announced in a speech to his supporters in the Justice and Development Party (AK) that all the protesters must be “evacuated.”
What followed was reported by many to have been one of the most violent nights since the unrest began two weeks ago. Riot police moved into the Square taking on half an hour to disperse the activists gathered there, using tear gas and carrying riot shields.
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| Turkish protesters rally on John F. Kennedy street near the US Embassy in Ankara early on June 16, 2013, calling for the governemt to resign. (AFP Photo) |
Clashes then began to erupt at different spots around the city, with activists scuffling with officers. Witnesses claimed they were chased into hotels and accused the police of pelting them with tear gas even there.“They excessively use violence and tear gas against medical personnel and injured people, they target doctors who voluntarily support the health units healing the injured,” human rights activist Dr. Sebnem Korur Fincanci informed RT from Turkey.Some protesters ripped up paving slabs and used debris to create makeshift barricades to impede officers.
Meanwhile in Taksim Square bulldozers cleared away all traces of the past two weeks of protest and police took control of the roads leading up to the square. The governor of Istanbul confirmed that 22 people had been taken into custody in connection with the protests and stressed that anti-government gatherings are banned in Taksim Square and the surrounding area.
Protesters have targeted Erdogan with their demonstrations, alleging he has become increasingly authoritarian in his administration of Turkey. In addition, many complain that his party thrusts conservative Islamist values upon a secular state.Separately in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday police broke up a number of protesters near the Kizilay Square with water cannons and tear gas.Officers initially stopped a convoy of mourners as they prepared to lay Ethem Sarisuluk, allegedly shot dead by police in a protest, to rest.Austin Mackell, a journalist specializing in Middle Eastern affairs, characterized the unrest as an urban phenomenon made up of secular Western Turks who are used to having a strong voice in political matters. He stressed that the rise of a Muslim-orientated government had curtailed their say in government affairs and warned if the protesters did not unify the movement would quickly be extinguished.“There is a real danger that if the Gezi kids don’t get their act together that what they’re going to do will benefit the generals and the old-school secular authoritarians,” said Mackel to RT.
So far over 700 people have been injured in the upheaval in Turkey and at least five have been killed.
