WikiLeaks says security whistleblower Edward Snowden landed in Moscow. WikiLeaks says it will help Edward Snowden with his political asylum in a democratic country. Hong Kong announced that it had insufficient information from the U.S. for an arrest warrant.

According to WikiLeks, the search for Edward Snowden, who is wanted on U.S. espionage charges, took a dramatic turn when the whistleblower fled Hong Kong and reportedly arrived in Russia. In a Twitter post earlier today, WikiLeaks said Snowden’s plane touched down in Moscow. Russian state media also reported Edward Snowden's arrival. WikiLeaks did not disclose what country would be his final destination.

There has been widespread speculation about what the former NSA contractor will do next. There have been media reports suggesting that Snowden might ultimately be traveling to Ecuador, Venezuela or Cuba. Other reports said he was taken away in a diplomatic car. Some sources speculated that he might spend the night in an embassy in Moscow or at an airport hotel.
WikiLeaks said in a series of online posts that it would help Snowden leave Hong Kong and seek "political asylum in a democratic country." Former Spanish Judge and WikiLead’s legal director Baltasar Garzon said the the treatment of Snowden has been "an assault against the people. The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr. Snowden's rights and protecting him as a person."

The Hong Kong government said Snowden left the country "through a lawful and normal channel” after Hong Kong was asked to extradite the former National Security Agency contractor to face charges in the U.S.

Justice Department spokeswoman Nanda Chitre said in a statement that Hong Kong authorities had informed U.S. officials of Snowden's departure. She said "We will continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

Hong Kong officials said the extradition request didn't comply with requirements. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said in a statement that the U.S. government also asked Hong Kong to issue a provisional arrest warrant for Snowden. Officials said "Since the documents provided by the U.S. government did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law, the HKSAR government has requested the U.S. government to provide additional information." Hong Kong officials said, "there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong," the government said.

A Justice Department officials said that the U.S. met requirements with its request, disputing the assertion from authorities in Hong Kong, "They came back to us with a few questions late Friday and we were in the process of answering those questions. We believe we were meeting those requirements. As far as the relationship with Hong Kong goes, this raises questions and we will continue to discuss with authorities there."

Hong Kong officials in the statement said “The HKSAR government has formally written to the U.S. government requesting clarification on earlier reports about the hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies. The HKSAR government will continue to follow up on the matter so as to protect the legal rights of the people of Hong Kong."

U.S. federal prosecutors charged Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person.