Choice of Hong Kong as refuge is admired, but speculation remains that he could seek sanctuary in Iceland

Edward Snowden's choice of Hong Kong as a refuge from US retribution has been admired by some international lawyers – but it has not quelled speculation that he may seek asylum in another state, and activists in Iceland are making preparations should the whistleblower try to head there.

Birgitta Jónsdóttir, the Icelandic MP and open information campaigner who was centrally involved in the WikiLeaks disclosures, said she was lobbying Iceland's immigration services and interior ministry about possible asylum for Snowden. But she added the process would only seriously get under way once the NSA whistleblower made clear his intentions.

"This can't be processed until we hear from Snowden himself. We need to know exactly what he wants to do."

Speaking to the Guardian from San Francisco, Jónsdóttir said other members of her Pirate party would be raising the asylum issue in speeches to the newly formed Icelandic parliament. "I'm encouraging politicians not just in my own party to come forward and support Edward Snowden because he has done humanity a great service," Jónsdóttir said.

"It's high time the US government recognised that this culture of information gathering and surveillance cannot be sustained - the people won't accept it."

Iceland has a new conservative government, which took office last month. While the new prime minister, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, has put his name to the International Modern Media Institute (IMMI) in Iceland, which is designed to strengthen freedom of expression in the country, crucial clauses within it that would extend a safe haven to whistleblowers have not yet been passed and are still being debated within a steering committee. That means there is currently no automatic right to a safe haven for the former CIA employee.

Iceland's interior ministry – which would have the final say on whether Snowden received asylum – said on Monday that it had not yet received an application from the whistleblower.

"We have heard about this, but we cannot speculate," said Johannes Tomasson, spokesman for the ministry. "At the moment we have received no inquiry or application from Mr Snowden, and we cannot therefore speculate on whether any such application would be granted."

But there was a groundswell of support for Snowden, according to information activist Smári McCarthy, executive director of the IMMI, which has started making inquiries about how Snowden might be given refuge.

"Of course we have been following the story with morbid fascination and as soon as [he] mentioned Iceland, that was our cue to take action," said McCarthy. "We are working on the basis that if he were to arrive in Iceland we would have a plan in place and ready to go."

McCarthy's organisation is in discussions with lawyers about the possibility of Snowden gaining protection in Iceland.

"It is not sure whether Iceland would be up for the fight as the US is a major trading partner," he said. "However, it would be rather embarrassing for the United States if it cut ties with this small nation because it had complied with its human rights duties."

Snowden would have to arrive on Icelandic soil or at one of its embassies to claim asylum, but would have popular support in Iceland, said McCarthy. "Everywhere in the Icelandic media today we are seeing that support, with people thinking that Snowden is deserving of Iceland's protection."

Iceland has a history of providing asylum, famously giving world chess champion Bobby Fischer Icelandic citizenship after a vote in the country's parliament, and is considered a world leader in human rights. The US government is unlikely to deprive Snowden of his nationality as a punishment since that could undermine any attempt to extradite him back to the US to face charges.

Other states where Snowden might consider seeking sanctuary include Ecuador – whose embassy in London is currently home to the fugitive WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange – and Venezuela.

Rendering anyone stateless against their will is formally forbidden by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, which declares under article 15 that: "(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality; (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality."

Individuals, however, can voluntarily renounce their US citizenship. In order to do so they must, according to the US state department, "appear in person before a US consular or diplomatic officer, in a foreign country (normally at a US embassy or consulate); and sign an oath of renunciation".The regulations add: "Persons intending to renounce US citizenship should be aware that, unless they already possess a foreign nationality, they may be rendered stateless and, thus, lack the protection of any government. They may also have difficulty travelling as they may not be entitled to a passport from any country."