Why Hong Kong is an Excellent Option for Snowden

Many at first did not understand why the NSA informant fled to Hong Kong. But knowledgeable people immediately saw all the genius of his decision. There are at least six reasons for choosing this country.



1. The convoluted extradition procedure is shown in the diagram . The average time between the beginning of the process and the receipt of the case in the court of appeal is one year. Until the last court of appeal - another three years. In difficult cases, the extradition process may be delayed for a much longer period.



Hong Kong's legal system is based on British law, in which compliance with the procedures is mandatory and immutable. Any error in the document or procedure will send the case for review, so the show with lawyers and judges begins anew.

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Extradition Process from Hong Kong

For example, hearings on the issue of extradition to the United States of the famous Nancy Kissel , who killed her husband, an influential investment banker, have been going on for ten (!) Years.



The case of Snowden can not be called simple, so that in his case, the procedure will probably be delayed. In his favor, a possible political background is played (if the case is considered political - Snowden is automatically released) and the possibility of interference by the Chinese authorities, who are unlikely to help America in arresting the “national hero.”



2. Hong Kong - a haven for geek. Optical fiber in almost every apartment, the average number of SIM-cards per capita: 2.3, and unlocked mobile phones sell anywhere for 10 bucks. You can buy SIM cards and easily change them. Unlike the rest of China, the Internet in Hong Kong is not censored by the Great Chinese Firewall, so Facebook, Twitter and other joys of life forbidden in China are available here.



3. Public support. In Hong Kong, the first small demonstrations in support of Snowden have already taken place. The rally last Saturday was organized personally by the legislative advisor, that is, a local official. When journalists asked him how important Snowden is for ordinary Hong Kongers, he eagerly answered: “Do you use a mobile phone? Do you go online? ” A poll on the main page of the local newspaper South China Morning Post showed support for Snowden with an advantage of 70 to 30.



4. Hong Kong occupies almost the most ambiguous position on the political map of the world, and this too can play into the hands of Snowden. There is no single authority here, and both China and the local government and the United States have a certain influence. Officially, Hong Kong has the status of a “special administrative region of the PRC”, but it has its own political and legal system, independent courts, its own police, separate immigration laws, and its own currency. For certain reasons, China is in no hurry to complete the takeover of Hong Kong in the shortest possible time.



5. Protection and security. Although Snowden in a recent interview argued that the NSA may pay the Hong Kong mafia for its destruction, but in reality Hong Kong is one of the safest places in the world . In a city with a population of 7.4 million people, only 27 murders were committed last year. The killings are so rare that almost every one of them remains in the headlines for weeks, there is a record number of police officers per capita. In addition, the United States does not dare to unauthorized launch of a drone, sending special forces or a sniper to the territory of China.



6. Legal assistance. Hong Kong is a place where dissidents come from all over China, there are a lot of human rights organizations here that are ready to provide legal assistance. They will fight among themselves in order to take free of charge such a famous client.