Countries with the Strictest Censorship Laws Around the World
People who live in the United States, Canada, or any other democratic country for that matter are protected by basic and unalienable rights. One such right is the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press; unfortunately, not every country in the world is allowed the same rights as us. Some countries with dictatorships like North Korea and China don’t let their citizens enjoy the things we take for granted. So of these countries are so restrictive that going against or ill-talking about the current ruler can get your entire family wiped off the map. So, let’s all appreciate the country we live in; even though it has its flaws, it’s still better than the countries on this list.
3 countries with the strictest censorship laws:
1. Eritrea
Most of you haven’t even heard of this country before, but it is considered the country with the strictest censorship law globally, and yes, it even beats North Korea (which is a close second). It is a country in the Eastern region of Africa, and it is a one-party presidential country where an election has never been held. It gained its independence in 1993 and has been ruled by the iron fist of self-elected President Isaias Afewerki. The country has such strict Censorship laws that only the State media is allowed to broadcast information, and the last international correspondents were expelled from the country in 2007. Even those working for the state channel fear for their life as any misstep and report against their government can cost them their lives. Most of the journalists in the country are in jail while the rest sought or are seeking asylum elsewhere.
2. North Korea
Ruled by Kim Jong Un, the president that we all love to hate because of his smug persona and how he rules over his country. It is believed that internet access is in the hands of only a few individuals in the country (the political elite). Most working-class citizens live in fear of their lives and get all their news from the heavily censored media channels. The country intranet, Kwangmyong that allows the citizen to surface online, is strictly controlled by the state, and any wave against the current sitting government is flagged. The individuals are then arrested and might even be condemned to death depending on the severity of their comment (this of course is decided by a bias institution). Foreign cellphones are explicitly banned in the country, and any attempt to flee the country is punished by death. However, some people actually make it in one piece and are considered dissidents who find refuge in South Korea, where they are considered actual citizens if they can make their way there. However, the cost of fleeing the country can mean that your relatives still in North Korea and lose their life.
3. Ethiopia
The prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, took power back in 2012 and has been ruling the country with a firm hand and is slowly making the country’s censorship laws more restrictive. Prior to the 2015 election, the watchdogs crackdown and busted the few independent journalists still writing in the country and they were made to shut down their new sites and even imprisoned. There is little to no outrage against his presidency right now because people are too afraid of the repercussions of voicing out their opinion of the current government. The country has no independent broadcasting channel and has only heavily censored state channels that have nothing bad to say against the country’s leader.
Even the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, pails in comparison to these three despotic leaders who rule their country with terror. The citizens of these countries have little to no human rights and are seen as puppets in the arms of their evil and tyrannic masters. Sound off in the comment section below and tell us if you are shocked that certain countries are still this censored in 2021.
