US authorities are already working on bringing him to US soil

Jun 10, 2013 12:25 GMT  ·  By

Now that the source of the NSA leaks that have been capturing the world's attention this past few days has been revealed – Edward Snowden came out as the man behind the leaked data –, it was only a matter of time before the US authorities went after him.

He's been in Hong Kong for the past 10 days or so, and he chose that country because of its strong support for free speech.

But US authorities are already working on asking for his extradition. The Department of Justice is assessing the severity of the leaks, and Peter King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security subcommittee, wants him extradited.

"If Edward Snowden did in fact leak the NSA data as he claims, the United States government must prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law and begin extradition proceedings at the earliest date," King said in a statement.

"The United States must make it clear that no country should be granting this individual asylum. This is a matter of extraordinary consequence to American intelligence," he added.

Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the US, but it doesn't include some political offenses. Snowden's fate rests on Hong Kong's decision on the upcoming extradition request.

In fact, Snowden has already been investigated before the leaks became public. The police had visited his house after he left for Hong Kong, but this was before anything was published. The Washington Post first contacted authorities about the data it was sitting on, which is when the government started investigating the potential leak.

Despite the risk, Snowden is at peace with his fate. He hopes he will be able to find asylum somewhere and not have to face the wrath of the US legal system, but he is aware that the US may have him extradited and jailed for years or decades.