Edward Snowden granted asylum in Russia, leaves airport

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Edward Snowden, the man at the heart of the National Security Agency information leak, was granted asylum from Russia Thursday and finally left the airport.

Russian media outlet RT reported that Mr. Snowden’s attorney, Anatoly Kucherena, said early Thursday: “I have just handed over to him papers from the Russian Immigration Service. They are what he needs to leave the transit zone.”

Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena on Thursday displays a temporary document to allow NSA leaker Edward Snowden to cross the border into Russia.(Photo: Associated Press TV)

Anna Aruntunyan and Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY 4:07 p.m. EDT August 1, 2013

A lawyer for the former NSA analyst says he has "no plans" to go to another country.

 

Fox News reported Mr. Snowden left Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport and stepped onto Russian soil.

The former contractor’s lawyer would not disclose Mr. Snowden’s location within Russia because of security concerns.

Wikileaks, the document-leaking organization that has been aiding Mr. Snowden, also wrote on Twitter that he has left the airport.He’s been granted temporary asylum.