Survey: Libya, Cuba among most repressive states

Libya placed in lowest category of Freedom House survey, Syria only slightly better
Associated Press

In a worldwide survey, a democracy watchdog organization said only 90 countries respect a broad array of basic human rights and political freedom, while 103 countries, including Syria and Libya, fail to observe standards of liberal democracy.

Anti-Democratic Ties?

'Damascus unlikely to sever ties with Iran' / Ynet

Syrian envoy who communicated Israel's willingness to cede Golan Heights in exchange for peace clarifies in interview with Hizbullah television that Damascus is in no rush to relinquish its alliance with Tehran

Full story

Eight countries were judged by Freedom House, the New York-based organization, to have the most repressive regimes. They were Cuba, Libya, Myanmar, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Two restive territories, Chechnya and Tibet, said by the organization to suffer repression, were placed in the lowest category as well.

Within the eight countries and two territories, "state control over daily life is pervasive and wide-ranging, independent organizations and political opposition are banned or suppressed and fear of retribution for independent thought and action is part of daily life," said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House, in issuing the annual report.

'Decline in global freedom'

Syria was one of the countries ranked only slightly better than "the worst of the worst", along with others such as China, Zimbabwe, and the western Sahara territory taken over by Morocco in 1979. They severely suppress opposition political activity, impede independent organizing and censor or punish criticism of the state, Windsor said.

Syria showed a downward trend, the report said. While it held elections, candidates' eligibility was tightly circumscribed, new measures to control internet activity were adopted and prominent reformers were sentenced for signing a declaration supporting Lebanese sovereignty.

Summing up world trends in an interview, Arch Puddington, director of research at Freedom House, said, "Even while global freedom has stagnated in the past decade we had seen a decline in the 'worst of the worst' countries." However, he claimed that the "process seems to have come to at least a temporary halt as these countries seem to be pushing back."