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The Least Free Countries In The World (PHOTOS)

The Least Free Countries In The World
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As Americans are set to celebrate their country's independence and all the freedoms that come with it, citizens around the world suffer brutal repression at the hands of powerful dictators.

Freedom House has released a list of the 20 least free countries.

See the top ten below and view the complete list here.

For more on these countries, and others on the Freedom House list, visit Foreign Policy.

Least Free Countries On Earth
North Korea(01 of10)
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Dictator Kim Jong Il has led North Korea since 1994 when he took over from his father, Kim Il Sung. It is believed that the former's son, Kim Jong Un, will take over for his father.The country's constitution allows freedom of speech and press, but in reality neither exists. All media outlets are run by the state. Internet access is restricted to a few thousand people with state approval, and foreign websites are blocked. (credit:AP)
Libya(02 of10)
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Though power in Libya theoretically lies with a system of people's committees and the indirectly elected General People's Congress, in practice, the country is controlled by Moammar Gadhafi. Political parties have been banned for more than 35 years. After protests demanding freedom broke out in February, the United States, United Nations, European Union and NATO have carried out air raids beginning in March. Gadhafi's daughter, Aisha Gaddafi said rebels have entered into negotiations with the Libyan government. (credit:AP)
Burma (Myanmar)(03 of10)
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Gen. Than Shwe ruled Burma from 1992 until this year. The country's first parliamentary elections since 1990 took place in 2010, but they were rigged to ensure that Shwe' hand-picked successor, Thein Sein, would win. On Tuesday, it was reported that the government had deported Hollywood actress Michelle Yeoh, who stars as pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an upcoming movie. (credit:AP)
Equatorial Guinea(04 of10)
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Equatorial Guinea has never had credible elections. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo rules the country with an inner circle of advisors, exploiting the country's oil resources for personal gain. Libel is a criminal offense and all journalists must register with the government. (credit:AP)
Eritrea(05 of10)
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The only legal political party in Eritrea, the Popular Front for Democracy and Justice, maintains complete dominance over the country. The government only officially recognizes four religions: Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism, and Lutheranism as practiced by the Evangelical Church of Eritrea. Smaller Christian sects have been persecuted with increasing ferocity. (credit:AP)
Somalia(06 of10)
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Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has been undermined by Islamic insurgent group Shabaab, which has tightened its grip over much of southern and central Somalia. Shabaab enforce a brutal form of Islamic law in areas under its control and the group has launched terrorist attacks domestically and abroad. On Wednesday, US drone aircrafts fired on two leaders of Shabaab, apparently wounding them. (credit:AP)
Sudan(07 of10)
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President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who has ruled Sudan since a 1989 military coup, has been issued multiple arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, stemming from the government's role in the killing of tens of thousands of people in Darfur since 2003. Southern Sudan is slated to secede from the north this month, but violence has spiked and it's still unclear which country will retain several disputed areas, including the oil-rich Abyei. (credit:AP)
Turkmenistan(08 of10)
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Saparmurat Niyazov was "president for life" of Turkmenistan until his death in 2006. None of the country's elections have been legitimate. Nongovernmental organizations are tightly controlled, and there are no laws guaranteeing the rights of workers to unionize or strike. (credit:AP)
Uzbekistan(09 of10)
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President Islam Karimov and the executive branch control the legislature and judiciary. No genuine opposition party functions legally, and members of unregistered opposition parties are routinely repressed. Last year, ethnic riots prompted 100,000 Uzbek refugees to flee. (credit:AP)
Tibet(10 of10)
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Under Chinese rule, Tibetans do not have the right to determine their political future or freely elect their own leaders. Chinese security forces regularly engage in arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, and execution without due process. In mid June, China announced that foreigners were banned from visiting Tibet until July 26, after sensitive political anniversaries have passed. (credit:AP)

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