“How do we know Snowden was ever in Russia?
Hong Kong’s original statement yesterday saying Edward Snowden had left the Chinese territory made no mention of Russia, saying only that he had gone to a “third country”:
Mr Edward Snowden left Hong Kong today [June 23] of his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel.
The US government earlier on made a request to the HKSAR [Hong Kong special administrative region] government for the issue of a provisional warrant of arrest against Mr Snowden. Since the documents provided by the US government did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law, the HKSAR government has requested the US government to provide additional information so that the Department of Justice could consider whether the US government’s request can meet the relevant legal conditions.
As the HKSAR government has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr Snowden from leaving Hong Kong. The HKSAR government has already informed the US government of Mr Snowden’s departure.
Wikileaks, which says it has been assisting Snowden, and Aeroflot sources speaking to various news organisations both said he was going to Russia.
But no Russian officials ever confirmed he has arrived. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Guardian yesterday: “I don’t [know if he’s planning to stay in Moscow]. I heard about his potential arrival from the press. I know nothing.”
Russian security personnel certainly swarmed around Sheremetyevo airport, and the Ecuadorian ambassador Patricio Chavez also turned up – asking “Do you know where he is? Is he coming here?”
Russian news agency Interfax also reported that a Venezuelan diplomat picked Snowden up when he arrived.
Aeroflot told the Associated Press this morning that he was registered for the Havana flight that left half an hour ago.