The Guardian:
Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower, is believed to have arrived in Moscow after Hong Kong authorities allowed him to leave despite a US request for his arrest.
In a statement, WikiLeaks said the 30-year-old was heading to a democratic country "via a safe route" for asylum purposes and that the organisation was assisting at his request. Snowden had been in hiding in Hong Kong since identifying himself as the source of revelations on US surveillance programmes.
His flight from US authorities, which want to charge him with espionage, appeared set to continue with an onward flight west from Moscow to Havana on Monday. From there, various reports indicated that he would try to get to either Caracas or Quito.
[...] Snowden is believed to have boarded Aeroflot SU213 on Sunday morning, bound for Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. Reuters cited an airline source who said the whistleblower would fly on to Cuba on Monday, before travelling on to Venezuela.
Snowden had earlier cited Iceland as a possible refuge in an interview with the Guardian.
In a statement, WikiLeaks said: "He is bound for a democratic nation via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisers 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."
There's a
recommended diary from flitedocnm discussing the news.
10:17 AM PT:
The Government of Ecuador has received an asylum request from Edward J. #Snowden
— @RicardoPatinoEC