Edward Snowden will fight extradition
In this handout photo provided by The Guardian, Edward Snowden speaks during an interview in Hong Kong. Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA, revealed details of top-secret surveillance conducted by the United States’ National Security Agency regarding telecom data.
NSA leaker Edward Snowden has vowed to fight back against any extradition attempts against him by the US government.
As the 29-year-old leaker told the South China Morning Post: "I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality."
Snowden hasn't been charged with any crimes by the US government yet, and no extradition requests have been levied against him, although his release of classified information indicates that some sort of legal action against him is in the works.
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Snowden expressed considerable faith in his safety in Hong Kong, claiming to the SCMP that he has "been given no reason to doubt" the legal system there.
“I have had many opportunities to flee HK, but I would rather stay and fight the United States government in the courts, because I have faith in Hong Kong’s rule of law,” said Snowden. “My intention is to ask the courts and people of Hong Kong to decide my fate,” he added.
Snowden is currently in Hong Kong in an undisclosed location — prompting fears from former US Representative Ron Paul that the US government "might kill him with a cruise missile or a drone missile," according to a CBS interview.
Hong Kong's laws differ from those of China, but Chinese courts retain the ability to overrule any rulings made in the city-state. Neither the Hong Kong or Chinese government have commented on the case, says Reuters, nor has the Hong Kong Security Bureau.
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