MOSCOW -- National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia for one year and left a Moscow airport to formally enter the country's territory, according to his lawyer.
Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden's legal representative, told Interfax Thursday that he had given Snowden temporary papers issued by the Russian Immigration Service.
The Associated Press reported that Snowden had actually left Sheremetyevo airport, where he has been holed up since arriving June 23 from Hong Kong.
Kucherena said Snowden was unaccompanied when he left the airport in a regular taxi. RT.com reported that his whereabouts will be kept secret. WikiLeaks, however, reported that he was accompanied by Sarah Harrison, one of its activists.
"I watched him leave, he went to a safe place," RIA Novosti quoted Kucherena as saying.
"He is the most wanted person on earth and his security will be a priority," the attorney added. "He will deal with personal security issues and lodging himself. I will just consult him as his lawyer."
The former NSA systems analyst has been offered asylum by three Latin American countries but has been unable to travel since the U.S. revoked his passport.
He has been charged under the Espionage Act for leaking information to reporters about the NSA's worldwide surveillance and data-gathering networks.
The 30-year-old former defense contractor has said he did what he believes was right to go public with the information in order to "correct this wrongdoing."
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Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden's legal representative, told Interfax Thursday that he had given Snowden temporary papers issued by the Russian Immigration Service.
The Associated Press reported that Snowden had actually left Sheremetyevo airport, where he has been holed up since arriving June 23 from Hong Kong.
Kucherena said Snowden was unaccompanied when he left the airport in a regular taxi. RT.com reported that his whereabouts will be kept secret. WikiLeaks, however, reported that he was accompanied by Sarah Harrison, one of its activists.
"I watched him leave, he went to a safe place," RIA Novosti quoted Kucherena as saying.
"He is the most wanted person on earth and his security will be a priority," the attorney added. "He will deal with personal security issues and lodging himself. I will just consult him as his lawyer."
The former NSA systems analyst has been offered asylum by three Latin American countries but has been unable to travel since the U.S. revoked his passport.
He has been charged under the Espionage Act for leaking information to reporters about the NSA's worldwide surveillance and data-gathering networks.
The 30-year-old former defense contractor has said he did what he believes was right to go public with the information in order to "correct this wrongdoing."
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