Published on Thursday, August 1, 2013 by Common Dreams

Edward Snowden has left the transit area of the Sheremetyevo Airport where he'd been stranded without proper documents for over a month

– Jon Queally, staff writer

According to various news outlets, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has left the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow after being given the proper documents by the Russian government.

NSA whistleblowerEdward Snowden has reportedly been granted temporary asylum in Russia and has now left the airport.(Photograph: The Guardian)

NSA whistleblowerEdward Snowden has reportedly been granted temporary asylum in Russia and has now left the airport.(Photograph: The Guardian)

Snowden's lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told BBC news that his client had received permission from authorities to leave the transit area where he has been stranded since the US revoked his passport in June following the former security analyst's disclosure of details about the vast global surveillance network run by the US National Security Agency.

According to Russia's Interfax news agency, Snowden "has already left the airport."

His location now appears unknown. Kucherena indicated Snowden's whereabouts would be kept secret "for security reasons."

The Associated Press reports that Snowden has "been granted one year's temporary asylum in Russia.”

The Guardian, which first broke the NSA/Snowden story, is offering live updates.

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