Snowden’s Tour of the World’s Least Press-Friendly Countries


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 BordersFreedom 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

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do things differently in the aftermath of a political crisis: Watergate. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after, and go deep on, stories others don’t. And we’re a nonprofit newsroom because we knew corporations and billionaires would never fund the journalism we do. Our reporting makes a difference in policies and people’s lives changed.

And we need your support like never before to vigorously fight back against the existential threats American democracy and journalism face. We’re running behind our online fundraising targets and urgently need all hands on deck right now. We can’t afford to come up short—we have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

Please help with a donation today if you can—even just a few bucks helps. Not ready to donate but interested in our work? Sign up for our Daily newsletter to stay well-informed—and see what makes our people-powered, not profit-driven, journalism special.

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