Edward Snowden Requests Asylum In Ecuador

The whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked details about snooping carried out by the US government, has requested asylum in Ecuador after he landed in Moscow from Hong Kong.

The whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, which says it is now representing Snowden, said he is using Moscow as a transit point to the country.

Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino said on his Twitter account that "the government of Ecuador has received a request for asylum on the part of Edward Snowden".

The country's ambassador to Russia arrived at a hotel near Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, where Snowden's flight touched down at 5.05pm.

A spokesman for Wikileaks said: "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."

A twitter picture of Snowden's plane in Moscow. Credit @Russian_Market

Spanish Judge Mr Baltasar Garzon, legal director of Wikileaks and lawyer for Julian Assange added: "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".

WikiLeaks said he was being accompanied by Sarah Harrison, described by them as a UK citizen, journalist and legal researcher.

Russia's Itar-Tass news agency said there is a flight ticket in his name from Moscow to Cuba and that he will then fly on to Caracas. It said that his flight to Havana from Moscow would take place on Monday.

Snowden's route since leaving Hawaii and his possible next destinations

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has also been granted asylum in the South American country.

Assange is currently in the Ecuador embassy in London. He is unable to leave without being arrested as he is wanted for questioning by Sweden over alleged sexual offences.

From the delegation which had arrived at the airport to meet him, it appears most likely he is heading to Ecuador.

Assange confirmed his organisation's involvement to Australian newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald.

He said: "Mr Snowden is ... accompanied by WikiLeaks legal advisers.

A still picture of Sarah Harrison taken from a video put out by WikiLeaks

"He ... will be met by diplomats from the country that will be his ultimate destination. Diplomats from that country will accompany him on a further flight to his destination."

Snowden left Hong Kong after The White House asked the autonomous Chinese territory to extradite him. He had earlier been charged in the US with espionage.

The Hong Kong government has said that although the US had sought his extradition, the request did not fully comply with requirements. It said that as a result, he was free to leave.

Snowden was revealed earlier this month to have been the man who leaked to the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers information about monitoring by America's National Security Agency.

Snowden claimed the NSA has been keeping details of millions of phone calls by Americans and monitoring the use by foreigners of internet sites including Google, Facebook and Yahoo.

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