Snowden Flees Hong Kong for Moscow Seeking Asylum Amid U.S. Diplomatic Pressure

Edward Snowden boarded an Aeroflot commercial flight from Hong Kong to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on June 23, 2013, accompanied by Sarah Harrison of WikiLeaks, just days after the U.S. filed espionage charges and requested his extradition. The Hong Kong government allowed Snowden to leave despite the U.S. extradition request, stating that the American request “did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law.”

WikiLeaks announced that Snowden was traveling via a “safe route” to Ecuador, where he had requested political asylum. Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, confirmed receiving the asylum request via Twitter. WikiLeaks played a crucial role in coordinating Snowden’s departure, providing legal advisers and diplomatic support. The organization stated that Snowden’s departure was a “humanitarian act” to help him reach a jurisdiction where his rights would be protected.

The U.S. government expressed strong disappointment with Hong Kong’s decision and applied intense diplomatic pressure on countries along potential travel routes. Secretary of State John Kerry contacted officials in countries where Snowden might travel, urging them to deny him entry and facilitate his return to the United States. The State Department revoked Snowden’s passport while he was in transit, attempting to limit his ability to travel further.

The departure triggered a diplomatic crisis between the United States and both Hong Kong/China and the countries considering Snowden’s asylum requests. U.S. officials argued that Hong Kong’s actions were “detrimental to U.S.-Hong Kong and U.S.-China bilateral relations.” However, Chinese and Hong Kong authorities countered that the U.S. extradition request contained legal deficiencies. Snowden’s escape from Hong Kong marked the beginning of a protracted international chase that would ultimately strand him in Russia for years.