Ranking the World’s Dictators

If you’ve ever picked up a Sunday paper in the US, you’ve no doubt seen the PARADE magazine insert. I quit getting the paper long ago, so it was via Alan Cordova that I saw that PARADE just came out with their annual ranking of the world’s worst dictators. Karimov rocketed up 10 spots to number five this year.

5) Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan. Age 67. In power since 1990. Last year’s rank: 15

Until 2005, the worst excesses of Karimov’s regime had taken place in the torture rooms of his prisons. But on May 13, he ordered a mass killing that could not be concealed. In the city of Andijan, 23 businessmen, held in prison and awaiting a verdict, were freed by their supporters, who then held an open meeting in the town square. An estimated 10,000 people gathered, expecting government officials to come and listen to their grievances. Instead, Karimov sent the army, which massacred hundreds of men, women and children. A 2003 law made Karimov and all members of his family immune from prosecution forever.

Turkmenbashi held steady at number 8 this year, and the only other person from the former Soviet Union who made the top 20 is, unsurprisingly, Lukashenko. One of the more disturbing things about the list is that they point out that holding steady actually indicates a declining situation as the trend across the list has been for things to get worse.

And why bother mention what a newspaper insert has to say? Compared to more “serious” publications, PARADE reaches far more people.