Snowden not yet arrested despite U.S. request

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/snowden-not-yet-arrested-despite-us-request/2013/06/22/ab944ca4-db23-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_story.html

HONG KONG — More than a week after U.S. officials asked law enforcement in this city to arrest Edward Snowden, the former contractor who leaked documents about top-level surveillance programs has not yet been detained.

The reason for the hold-up is unclear. There could be delays in the legal process for issuing the warrant. Or, officials may still be looking for Snowden, who is believed to be in Hong Kong but could also have found a way to leave the semiautonomous region.

The U.S. government asked Hong Kong to detain Snowden on a provisional arrest warrant June 14, the same day it filed criminal charges against him, including theft, “unauthorized communication of national defense information” and “willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person.”

Under an extradition treaty between Hong Kong and the United States, a provisional warrant, as opposed to a regular one, is a faster way to detain suspected criminals since it does not require the initial approval of Hong Kong’s leader, currently Leung Chun-ying.

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1. They know exactly where he is

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/22/us-usa-security-snowden-charges-idUSBRE95K18220130622

Snowden charges first step in long extradition process
By Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball
WASHINGTON | Sat Jun 22, 2013 8:11am EDT

Hong Kong's Chinese-language Apple Daily quoted police sources as saying that anti-terrorism officers had contacted Snowden, arranged a safe house for him and provided protection.

The report said the police had checked his documents but had not discussed other matters or taken any statements.