The United States on Friday formally charged National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden with espionage, theft and conversion of government property in a criminal complaint in the Eastern District Court of Virginia.
Snowden, who leaked National Security Agency's programs of monitoring movements and communications of people is believed to be holed up in Hong Kong and under the U.S. Espionage Act, he could be sentenced up to ten years in prison.
The charges against him come as the first step by the U.S. government in what could be a long battle to extradite the whistleblower back to the country and try him in a U.S. court.
Citing undisclosed official sources, the Washington Post said that the United States has already asked the Hong Kong government to detain the National Security Agency contractor on a "provisional arrest warrant."
There was no immediate comment from the Hong Kong government, which enjoys a complete independent autonomous status under the Peoples' Republic of China.
Earlier, speaking to Global Post, lawyers and human rights advocates said that the case might be long drawn and could take many months.
"If it comes to the point where the US does issue a warrant on Snowden, and then passes it over to the Hong Kong authorities, and he decides to fight it, at this point it would be a court case," said Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch. "And it can be a long court case, going up to the court of final appeals."
"Any court battle is likely to reach Hong Kong's highest court and could last many months," lawyers told the Post.
Hong Kong has a clause in its extradition treaty with the United States which says any suspect can't be turned over for offense with a "political character," and espionage cases in the country have always been treated as such an offense.
Earlier, the American whistleblower had expressed his interest in seeking asylum in Iceland as the country has a tradition of giving refuge to people in political espionage cases.
Iceland has said that for the government to consider giving him asylum Snowden has to be in the country. A business man in Iceland Friday said that he has a private plane on standby to transport the U.S. whistleblower from Hong Kong to Iceland.
Iceland currently has 68 asylum seekers according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
