Background/What Snowden did:
Edward Snowden, the former CIA employee and whistle-blower, who exposed the US government’s mass surveillance programs is currently stranded in the transit area of the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, his passport revoked by the Obama administration and his asylum requests, allegedly, blocked by the US government. He is at risk or persecution at the hands of the US government which has slapped espionage, data theft and several other charges on him. He has sent asylum requests to 21 countries but he alleges that the US government used its influence to ensure that he does not get asylum. India has already turned his plea for asylum down, in yet another setback to freedom of expression. Edward Snowden exposed details of an intrusive surveillance program code-named PRISM to show how the privacy of millions of Indians may have been compromised in addition to that of US citizens and citizens of other countries.
Under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”. Snowden is a whistle-blower, not a criminal, who has disclosed vital information about his country’s illegitimate access to our data. He must be protected.
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