Sarah Harrison, Snowden's Wikileaks 'adviser'

LONDON (AP) ? While Edward Snowden has been seeking asylum, Wikileaks staffer Sarah Harrison has been by his side from the time he left Hong Kong to fly to Russia.

Little is known about Harrison, who rose from intern to one of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's most trusted lieutenants in just a few years.

Wikileaks has described her as Snowden's legal adviser. While she does not appear to have a law degree, the secret-spilling organization describes her on its website as a "U.K. citizen, journalist and legal researcher."

She is 31 years old, according to Britain's Daily Mail which published an interview with her parents.

Her affiliation with Wikileaks dates to an internship at the Center of Investigative Journalism, based at London's City University. While there, she helped Assange with Wikileaks' disclosure of secret U.S. military records, according to the group's website.

Harrison went on to join the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in August 2010, working as a researcher on the team dealing with the Iraq War logs ? files that the bureau had been granted access to by Wikileaks, along with several media organizations. The bureau, a British non-for-profit that supports investigative journalism, said Harrison left in October 2010 to join Wikileaks.

Since then ? and before linking up with Snowden ? Harrison had maintained a constant, but mostly silent, presence at Assange's side.

She was with him at the English country manor where he lived under house arrest while resisting extradition to Sweden on sex-related allegations. She was also with him at his court appearances.

Harrison was among those who forked over funds for Assange's bail surety, and one of many who ultimately lost their money when the Wikileaks founder sought refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in violation of his bail conditions.

With Assange holed up in the embassy, Harrison has taken on a more public role with the organization.

She appeared at London's Frontline Club last year to announce that Wikileaks was in the process of publishing material from 2.4 million Syrian emails ? many of which it said came from official government accounts.

In that appearance, she acknowledged that Wikileaks was facing "a difficult time at the moment" but said "we are continuing to work through that."

When Snowden left Hong Kong bound for Russia, Wikileaks confirmed that Harrison was travelling with the NSA leaker.

She later appeared alongside Snowden at a meeting with activists and Russian officials in the Moscow Airport, where Snowden spent weeks effectively stranded without travel documents or asylum.

On Thursday, Wikileaks announced that Snowden had left the Moscow Airport ? under Harrison's care.

"Harrison has remained with Mr. Snowden at all times to protect his safety and security, including during his exit from Hong Kong," Wikileaks said in a statement. "They departed from the airport together in a taxi and are headed to a secure, confidential place."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sarah-harrison-snowdens-wikileaks-adviser-162602482.html

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