As swiftly as it was announced, Edward Snowden's schedule of virtual appearances in Australia has been dramatically curtailed.
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ThinkInc, the edu-tainment firm that originally planned for the ex-NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower to make live video appearances in Australia's capital cities, has reduced those appearances to just two – Sydney and Melbourne.
"Regrettably, due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we have been forced to cancel the Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Brisbane shows," the group said in a statement to ticket buyers.
Asked the reason for the change in planning, ThinkInc director Suzi Jamil said: "There is a range of reasons for the cancellation of other cities.
"Please understand Mr Snowden is in difficult circumstances and as a team, we are trying to be as accommodating as possible to those circumstances."
Ms Jamil would not address whether lack of demand for tickets to see Mr Snowden was one of the reasons.
ThinkInc announced the tour in March, when it revealed the difficulties in sending payment to Mr Snowden for the appearances.
Ticketholders in the affected cities have already been refunded, ThinkInc said. The group even offered to bus Canberra audiences to the nearby Sydney show for free.
Mr Snowden made world headlines in 2013 after leaking a cache of classified documents from the US National Security Agency which, among many things, revealed an illegal US government bulk collection of domestic data. The revelations also jump-started a global debate about the limits and powers of government snooping.
The then 30-year-old fled to Russia via Hong Kong, where he has stayed since, remaining in the Western public's eye through frequent appearances, awards and statements.
While Mr Snowden's story has been viewed as a battle for digital privacy in the West, it has also acted as a diplomatic irritant between Western allies facing a more aggressive Russia.
In the same period, Russia has initiated a multimillion-dollar information war effort against the West, while occupying and annexing Crimea and fomenting war in Ukraine's east.
Mr Snowden's cause has been relentlessly championed on Moscow-controlled foreign-language media. His disclosures triggered diplomatic rows between Australia and Indonesia, as well as Australia and East Timor.
The former intelligence IT worker has expressed a willingness to return to the US if he can be assured of a fair trial that allows him to argue a public interest defence. But questions about his relationship with Vladimir Putin's circle linger.
Mr Snowden's two remaining Australian virtual appearances will be in Sydney on May 22 and Melbourne on May 28.
