BERLIN – US whistleblower Edward Snowden and a network of
lawyers and refugees who helped him hide in Hong Kong in 2013
provided never-before-heard details about his two weeks on the run in
an article today.
“They had a hundred chances to betray me while I was amongst them,
and no one could have blamed them, given their precarious situations.
But they never did,” Snowden told Canadian newspaper the National
Post.
The article also cites lawyers who helped Snowden, as well as other
Hong Kong residents who helped him flee a hotel room after he
identified himself as the source behind the release of a trove of
sensitive US government data on June 9, 2013.
That sparked two weeks of hiding Snowden in the homes of various
people – most of them refugees themselves who risked deportation if
it came to light that they had helped a fugitive – until he departed
for a flight to Russia on June 23. He remains in Russia to this day.
Snowden and some of his collaborators said a motivation for revealing
the story now is because a movie, “Snowden,” directed by Oliver
Stone, about Snowden is set for release Friday at the Toronto Film
Festival.
According to the report, Snowden has given $1 000 to all
those who helped him, for fear that their lives may become difficult
now that their identities will be made public by the film.
The secrets Snowden released provided critical details about
US espionage efforts, some of them targeting allies. He remains
wanted by the United States, but has received long-term asylum in
Russia.
– DPA
