Edward Snowden, the man who released the details of the National Security Agency's surveillance programs, is seeking political asylum in Ecuador. However, Snowden is being helped by a group that is familiar with whistleblower controversies, WikiLeaks. 

In 2010, Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks team released previously unseen United States military footage and documents on the Internet. Assange was granted political asylum in Ecuador in 2012 because he was afraid of being shipped back to the U.S. and facing consequences such as jail for life or even execution. 

Snowden is planning a similar strategy, as he's already fled Hong Kong earlier on Sunday to Moscow. The U.S. was furious at the Russian government for allowing Snowden to enter onto their soil. However, now it's clear that Snowden will be on the move again as he tries to escape the U.S. government. 

"The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr. Snowden’s rights and protecting him as a person," stated Baltasar Garzon, legal director of WikiLeaks. "What is being done to Mr. Snowden and to Mr. Julian Assange, for making or facilitating disclosures in the public interest, is an assault against the people."

MORE: Obama's Approval Rating Plummets 

As a response, the U.S. government revoked Snowden's passport on Sunday afternoon. Yet, traveling without a legitimate passport doesn't mean Snowden is trapped. In fact, a country can overlook the lack of a passport if a senior government official orders so. 

Since the U.S. revoked the passport before he arrived in Moscow, that is why the government is angry that Russia allowed Snowden into and potentially out of their country. 

"This action, [President Vladimir] Putin allowing Snowden to land in Russia and then go somewhere else, is going to have serious consequences for the United States-Russian relationship," said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.

 

 

Reach Executive Producer Max Meyer by email.

Follow @trojanmax12