President Barack Obama has told reporters he is following all legal channels on how to bring whistleblower Edward Snowden back to the U.S. He says the administration is working with other countries to make sure "the rule of law is observed."
The US Secretary of State has warned China and Russia not to help the former CIA analyst, who didn't board a flight from Moscow to Cuba today as expected.
US authorities continue their hunt for the 30-year-old American who flew to Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday. He was set to board a flight to Cuba today after he was reportedly checked-in.
But the ex-National Security Agency (NSA) contractor did not appear to be on the Havana-bound Aeroflot plane. Journalists on the flight posted pictures of an empty seat, number 17, believed to be where the American was expected to sit.
Standing next to Edward Snowden's seat on flight to Cuba. He ain't here. pic.twitter.com/NVRH3Pzved
— max seddon (@maxseddon) June 24, 2013
Assange was speaking from inside Ecuador's embassy in London where he has been holed up for months as he faces arrest and extradition to Sweden if he leaves the building. He condemned what he called "bellicose" statements from US Secretary of State John Kerry who dubbed Snowden a traitor to his country.
Mr. Kerry also warned both Russia and China that their relations with the US might be damaged by their refusal to extradite him.
Assange denied Snowden, who is being accompanied by WikiLeaks representative Sarah Harrison, was a traitor or a spy.
Snowden's whereabouts are unknown
He said "The current status of Mr Snowden and Harrison is that both are healthy and safe and they are in contact with their legal teams. Edward Snowden left Hong Kong on June 23 bound for Ecuador via a safe pass through Russia and other states."
Ecuador is considering Snowden's asylum application and the country's foreign minister Ricardo Patino said the whistleblower was being persecuted and questioned the concept of treason allegations against him.
Washington has urged Russia to do all it could to expel him and send him back to the US.
Mr. Snowden claimed the NSA has been keeping details of millions of phone calls by Americans and monitoring the use by foreigners of internet sites including Google, Facebook and Yahoo under the Prism programme.
