Mother Jones
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Last time we checked, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden had left Hong Kong with China’s blessing and was headed to Moscow, reportedly in transit to Cuba and finally, Ecuador. (He’s also expressed interest in getting to Iceland.) His current whereabouts are unknown. While we play “Where in the World Is Edward Snowden?,” here’s a quick look at the countries his odyssey has taken him to or may take him to, viewed through the lens of their relative records on press freedom, political liberties, and corruption, as determined by Reporters Without Borders, Freedom House, and Transparency International:
Country
Reporters Without Borders press freedom ranking (1=most free, 179=least)
Freedom House press freedom score (0=highest, 100=lowest)
Freedom House political rights/civil liberties ratings (1=highest, 7=lowest)
Transparency International corruption perceptions ranking (1=least corrupt, 174=most)
United States
32
18
1/1
19
Hong Kong
58
35
—
14
China
173
83
7/6
80
Russia
148
81
6/5
133
Cuba
171
92
7/6
58
Ecuador
119
61
3/3
118
Iceland
9
14
1/1
11
From:
Snowden’s Tour of the World’s Least Press-Friendly Countries
