Snowden extradition battle in Hong Kong could go on for years

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Reuters:

(Reuters) - A former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor charged with spying by the United States and in hiding in Hong Kong is expected to be the subject of a formal extradition request at any time in what could drag into a legal battle lasting years.

Since making his revelations about massive U.S. surveillance programs, legal sources in Hong Kong say Edward Snowden, 30, has sought legal representation from human rights lawyers as he prepares to fight U.S. attempts to force him home for trial.

U.S. authorities have charged Snowden with theft of U.S. government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person, with the latter two charges coming under the U.S. Espionage Act.

The United States and Hong Kong signed an extradition treaty which came into effect in 1998, a year after Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule. Scores of Americans have been sent back home for trial since then.

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.

If Hong Kong authorities did not charge Snowden with an equivalent crime, authorities could not extradite him, lawyers said. In the absence of charges, Snowden was also theoretically free to leave the city, one legal expert said.

Simon Young, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, said that while the first charge involving theft might readily find equivalence in Hong Kong, the latter two spying offences will likely attract "litigation and dispute" in the courts.

The timeframe for such proceedings remains unclear, but Hectar Pun, a lawyer with human rights expertise, was quoted as saying such an extradition could take three to five years.

________

 

Resident exile.

[Valin]

@WestVirginiaRebel

 

NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Leaves Hong Kong and Heads Toward Russia With Final Destination Unclear

 

June 23, 2013

 

Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden who faces espionage charges for recently disclosing secret anti-terrorism programs run by the U.S. government, has left Hong Kong and is heading toward Russia with his final destination unclear.

Hong Kong officials said early Sunday that Snowden left the country "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel."

"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," Hong Kong government officials said in a statement.

 

According to The South China Morning Post, Snowden was on a plane headed for Moscow, but Russia was not his final destination.

The Kremlin said it has not yet received a request for asylum. Snowden could make that request upon arrival in Russia. A week ago, Russian officials said they would consider such a request if one is made. A Kremlin aide told ABC News that they have no information about Snowden's travel plans.

 

Snowden left Hong Kong and "bound for a democratic nation via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks," according to a statement from Wikileaks.

 

 

(Snip)

[Draggingtree]

Lionized as a hero, Edward Snowden psyop for Amnesty?

By Judi McLeod (Bio and Archives) Sunday, June 23, 2013

 

Get ready Mr. and Mrs. America! Your president, back on American soil from Africa just one day before, will present you with a red, white and blue wrapped present in time for Independence Day. It’s Amnesty in a beribboned July 4 package, but with the help of Judas-like sellouts, including Marco Rubio, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and other RINOs siding with In-Office-Forever-Democrats, it will be called ‘Bringing Fellow Americans Out of the Shadows’.

 

And while it’s well on the way to going down, all eyes have been on that Artful Dodger hero, ‘The Red Herring that Brought Amnesty to America’, Edward Snowden.

 

The big picture on the Drudge Report earlier today day was a Chinese banner reading “Save Snowden, Save Freedom”.

 

“HONG KONG (AP)—A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a “third country” because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory’s government said Sunday.”

Surprise, surprise.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/56082