Fri | May 22, 2026

NSA leaker Snowden's passport revoked

Published:Monday | June 24, 2013 | 12:00 AM
This image made available by The Guardian Newspaper in London shows an undated image of Edward Snowden, 29. Snowden worked as a contract employee at the National Security Agency and is the source of The Guardian's disclosures about the US government's secret surveillance programmes, as the British newspaper reported yesterday. AP

WASHINGTON (AP):

The former National Security Agency contractor who disclosed a highly classified surveillance programme has had his US passport revoked, an official said yesterday.

Edward Snowden's passport was annulled before he left Hong Kong for Russia and while that could complicate his travel plans, the lack of a passport alone could not thwart his plans, the US official said. If a senior official in another country or with an airline orders it, a country could overlook the withdrawn passport, the official said.

The US official would only discuss the passport on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorised to discuss the matter.

Heading towards Ecuador

Snowden's allies said he was heading towards Ecuador, where the foreign minister said the government had received a request for asylum.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki refused to comment on Snowden's passport specifically but said individuals facing arrest warrants could have their passport withdrawn.

"Such a revocation does not affect citizenship status. Persons wanted on felony charges, such as Mr Snowden, should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel other than is necessary to return him to the United States," Psaki said in a statement.

Snowden, a CIA technician and former NSA contractor, helped The Guardian and The Washington Post to disclose surveillance programmes that collect vast amounts of online data and email, sometimes sweeping up information on ordinary American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.

Since news organisations began publishing reports based on Snowden's disclosures, he had been in hiding in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the US request did not fully comply with their laws.

Snowden was said to have landed in Moscow yesterday but was not seen leaving the airport.