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Armed with a precedent-setting decision from Germany, five refugees who helped hide whistleblower Edward Snowden are making a novel argument in their bid to be admitted to Canada: that they were victims of persecution by Hong Kong.

For years, the city-state was viewed in a similar light as democracies with generally positive human-rights records, making it difficult to claim asylum based on mistreatment by its authorities.

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But the influence of mainland China since it took control of the enclave in 1997 has increasingly raised concerns about civil rights there. Earlier this month, two Hong Kong democracy activists revealed Germany had granted them refugee status, possibly the first such case in the world.

Now a Sri Lankan couple, their two children and a single Sri Lankan man hoping to obtain asylum in Canada are making a similar claim.

The adults have always complained of persecution in Sri Lanka itself, which is what prompted them to flee to Hong Kong several years ago. But the group is also arguing in their application to Canada that they’ve been subject to abuse by Hong Kong since their role in helping Snowden became public.