The U.S. human rights organization Freedom House listed Belarus as one of the least free states in terms of economic and political rights in its annual Freedom in the World report.  Belarus received a score of seven on political freedom and six on individual rights on a scale with one representing the greatest level of freedom and seven the lowest.  The post-Soviet region includes three of the worst countries in terms of freedom: Belarus, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Belarus is ranked on an equal level with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where the situation regarding political and citizens’ rights has not changed in the last year.  Other countries ranked on a similar level of freedom include Myanmar, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Libya,  North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, and Zimbabwe.

This information was originally published on January 16, 2008. (www.freedomhouse.org)