There are more than 70 countries ruled by dictators who exercise arbitrary authority over their citizens and who cannot be removed from power through legal means. These tyrants suppress the freedoms of speech and religion, and the right to a fair trial. Some also commit torture, execute opponents and starve their own people. PARADE's annual list is drawn in part on reports from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and the U.S. State Department.

Notably, there are two leaders who did not make this year's list: Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan, No. 8 last year, died in December; and Fidel Castro, No. 15, relinquished power in Cuba to his brother Raul on July 31. Among the newcomers are Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Vladimir Putin of Russia. Some who moved up in rank are Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei, Hu Jintao of China, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Bashar al-Assad of Syria. But by no means does this indicate that those whom they passed showed improvements.

Click on the names below to read more about the tyrants on our 2007 list and share your comments.


1) Omar al-Bashir, Sudan

2) Kim Jong-il, North Korea

3) Sayyid Ali KhamEnei, Iran

4) Hu Jintao, China

5) King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia

6) Than Shwe, Burma (Myanmar)
7) Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe
Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan


http://www.parade.com/opencms/opencms/articles/editions/2007/edition_02-11-2007/Dictators

9) Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya

10) Bashar al-Assad, Syria

11) Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Equatorial Guinea

12) King Mswati III, Swaziland

13) Isayas Afewerki, Eritrea

14) Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus

15) Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan

16) Choummaly Sayasone, Laos

17) Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia

18 Hosni Mubarak, Egypt

19) Paul Biya, Cameroon

20) Vladimir Putin, Russia

It's great that only 2-3 of these idiots are US allies. Compare it with the 1970s and you get to see how world has changed ever since

Definately Sudan's, I mean, whoever can ignore people being slaughtered is horrible.

But number 14 looks like he could be hitler's son

Hmmm... No Fidel Cast and Hugo Chavez..... Both are just as evil as the rest.

I counted 5 as US allies, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, China and Russia. I also think 5.56 isn't totally wrong, If Fidel or Chavez arnt on the list they are certainly 'runners up' catagory. I mean Castro has killed more people than Putin, but there are still elections Russia, at least in theory.

Originally Posted by 5.56X45mm

Hmmm... No Fidel Cast and Hugo Chavez..... Both are just as evil as the rest.

Majority of these dictators, however, are EU trading partners.

Only time shall tell about Putin.....

Russia is on the rise again... and they have enough oil to last them awhile... however money...

I guess this post is just for present day dictators? Do we already have a thread on "best dictator ever"?

Majority of these dictators, however, are EU trading partners.

What do you exactly mean by this? Are you suggesting that we are the only hypocrites in the world?