Are you wanted by the U.S. government?
If you are Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old who leaked Top Secret information about the NSA, the answer is yes. And you need a sympathetic country to offer you political asylum. Soon.
But where do you turn? Which countries could be willing to flout American interests and take you in?
This list is a careful balance between those countries with strained diplomatic relations with the U.S., or those with a history of welcoming American dissidents, and those places that are most livable (Apologies to North Korea).
10. Hong Kong
Although Snowden’s decision to seek refuge in Hong Kong, a country with a longstanding extradition treaty with the U.S., has been widely criticized, it may be a shrewd attempt to take advantage of a loophole. Hong Kong’s High Court recently ordered a review of the nation’s extradition policy. Until that happens, asylum seekers are allowed to stay in the region indefinitely.
9. Switzerland
With a long history of neutrality and beautiful views of the Alps, Switzerland is a great place to camp out if you’re hiding from the U.S. government. Though the Swiss have an extradition treaty with the U.S., it has a few loopholes and the country has a bit of an independent streak. Just ask Marc Rich, who successfully dodged a federal indictment for tax evasion for years under the protection of the Swiss government.
8. Brazil
While Brazil has an extradition treaty with the U.S., it has bucked American requests for extradition before. One recent example is the case of Claudia Hoerig, who is believed to have murdered her husband in Ohio before fleeing to Brazil. And oh, those beaches.
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