Edward Snowden, who has left Hong Kong on a plane to Moscow. Photograph: AP
Birgitta Jónsdóttir, an Icelandic MP and internet freedom activist, has written a handy guide
as to the obstacles facing Snowden if he opted to head for her country
(which was mooted but now seems unlikely). Essentially, she warns,
Snowden would not be safe unless the government granted him citizenship,
as it did to the chess player Bobby Fischer when he faced US punishment
for breaking a sporting embargo on the then-Yugosalvia.
Seeking political asylum is a process that can take long time, and
there are no guarantees granted against extradition while the process is
ongoing. However, since Snowden faces possible death sentence his case
is stronger, for it is illegal to extradite a person who faces death
sentence from Iceland. It is important to note that Iceland has a
terrible track record when it comes to granting political asylum to
people seeking shelter, as it is hardly never granted and thus a too
dangerous path to be recommended for Snowden...
It is important to note that there has not been any formal requests
for asylum from Snowden to the Icelandic government and thus impossible
for them to respond with affirmative answer until such a request has
been received.
We have noted relevant reports but are not aware of the specifics. We
will continue to follow its development. Hong Kong is ruled by law. On
the basis of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region and the principle of "one country, two systems", the central
government always respects the HKSAR government's handling of affairs in
accordance with law.
On the hacking allegations:
We are gravely concerned about the recently disclosed cyber attacks
by relevant US government agencies against China. It shows once again
that China falls victim to cyber attacks. We have made representations
with the US.
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