Whistleblower Edward Snowden has stayed overnight at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. The former CIA contractor, who left Hong Kong in a bid to elude extradition to the US on espionage charges, is on his way to a ‘third country’ via Russia.
The plane allegedly carrying Edward Snowden landed in Moscow shortly after 5pm local time on Sunday.
Crowds of press and bystanders were hoping to grab a glimpse of the world’s most famous whistleblower, but to no avail, although the confirmation has arrived that he is in the terminal building.
After Edward Snowden’s plane touched down in Moscow, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino announced via twitter that Snowden had applied for asylum. Meanwhile, Ecuador’s ambassador to Russia, Patricio Chavez, arrived at Sheremetyevo Airport allegedly to greet Snowden.
Snowden is still at the airport, an unnamed source in Sheremetyevo airport management confirmed to Interfax news agency.
“Snowden is a transit passenger, his next flight is to Cuba, he remains in the airport complex – where he’s supposed to be, waiting for the next flight,” the source said.
A source at Aeroflot Russian Airlines told the agency that the whistleblower, who is accompanied by WikiLeaks representative, Sarah Harrison, has rented a suit at the airport’s «V-Express» Capsule Hotel.
“He arrived. But he can’t leave the terminal because he doesn’t have a Russian visa,” the source said.
Two cars with diplomatic license plates of Ecuador – the country named among Snowden’s possible destinations – were spotted at Sheremetyevo airport.
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