Former US intelligence technician Edward Snowden is en route from Hong Kong to Moscow heading to a third destination, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday.
"US whistleblower Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow, credible sources have confirmed to the South China Morning Post," the newspaper, which has carried exclusive interviews with Snowden in Hong Kong, said in a brief report on its website.
"Moscow will not be his final destination," it said, raising the possibility of Iceland or Ecuador as Snowden's final destination.
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United States urges Hong Kong to act soon on Snowden extradition
The United States pressured Hong Kong on Saturday to act soon on its request to extradite former U.S. government contractor Edward Snowden to face espionage charges.
"If Hong Kong doesn't act soon, it will complicate our bilateral relations and raise questions about Hong Kong's commitment to the rule of law," said a senior Obama administration official.
US 'expects' Hong Kong to extradite NSA leaker Snowden
The United States has gone to Hong Kong authorities seeking the extradition of Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who exposed secret U.S. surveillance programs, outgoing White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said on Saturday.
Donilon said the White House expects Hong Kong to move forward with the extradition.
"We believe that the charges presented, present a good case for extradition under the treaty, the extradition treaty between the United States and Hong Kong," Donilon told CBS Radio News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. "Hong Kong has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters, and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case."
US attempts to extradite Snowden from Hong Kong could take years, experts say
Any attempt by the US to extradite the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden from Hong Kong for espionage could take years and be blocked by China, legal experts have said.
The warning comes after it emerged on Friday that the US has charged Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorised person. The latter two charges are part of the US Espionage Act.
Legislators in Hong Kong responded by calling for mainland China to intervene in the case. Snowden, 29, who is reportedly in hiding in Hong Kong, was last seen on 10 June.
The US and Hong Kong have had an extradition treaty since 1998, a year after Hong Kong was transferred from British to Chinese rule. Scores of Americans have been sent back for trial under the treaty.
While espionage and theft of state secrets are not cited specifically in the treaty, equivalent charges could be pressed against Snowden under Hong Kong's official secrets ordinance, legal experts said.
The timeframe for such proceedings remains unclear, but Hectar Pun, a barrister with human rights expertise, said such an extradition could take three to five years.
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