
(UnitedReader.com) – Edward Snowden released classified information from the National Security Agency while working at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The whistleblower eventually had to flee the country in an effort to avoid facing legal consequences for his actions. Authorities recently granted asylum to the people who helped him hide along the way.
Sri Lankans Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis and Supun Thilina Kellapatha and their two children, Dinath and Sethumdi, were living in Hong Kong when they first welcomed Snowden into their home. The four refugees recently landed on Canadian soil, where officials immediately granted them asylum in relation to the case.
Four Sri Lankan refugees who hid Edward Snowden in their tiny Hong Kong apartments when he was on the run after exposing NSA spying, have landed in Canada where they have been granted asylum, ending years in limbohttps://t.co/lopYocT7ub pic.twitter.com/j1d7CIKGR0
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 29, 2021
Snowden was America’s most wanted man during the time period in which he lived with Nonis and Kellapatha. The FBI accused him of stealing top-secret information in an effort to stir up controversy over government surveillance in post-9/11 America.
At the time, Snowden’s fans viewed him as a hero fighting for the truth. Others saw him as little more than a traitor threatening national security in the US. Even now, that split in sentiment remains as he continues to live in exile in Russia.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had previously granted two of the refugees asylum back in 2019. Filipino-Canadian Vanessa Rodel and her daughter, Keana, offered to take in the other five, calling their situation “life or death.”
Now, six of the seven “guardian angels” will also enjoy the benefits of Canada’s asylum program. A Sri Lankan named Ajith Pushpakumara remains in Hong Kong. The non-profit For the Refugees group believes he may be in danger; they recently asked the government to expedite his asylum application.
Copyright 2021, UnitedReader.com