Former US paratrooper Jeremy Hinzman will ask Canadian officials for asylum today. Hinzman is one of at least three known US army deserters who refused to fight in Iraq and are now seeking refugee status in Canada. The 25-year-old is living in Toronto with his wife and two-year-old son. Hinzman will likely be asked to prove, like other refugee applicants, that he has a reason to believe he would be persecuted if he returned home. Supporters of Hinzman point to the case of Sergeant Camilo Mejia, who was sentenced to a year in prison for deserting his unit in Iraq. Hinzman says he has received many threatening emails, mostly from Americans, which he hopes will strengthen his case for asylum.