3. Islam Karimov/Shavkat Mirziyaev of Uzbekistan
Be happy you didn’t grow up in Uzbekistan, because child labor is still legal in the country. After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country elected Islam Karimov to the office of President. Karimov never stepped down from office, and the elections quickly turned into shams.
Karimov died just weeks ago, but his long reign of terror was marked by brutal torture, a crackdown on opponents, tight control of the press, and other forms of oppression. Karimov was even accused of boiling prisoners alive, and thousands of dissidents were killed under his leadership. Meanwhile, thousands of people were imprisoned for their religious beliefs, and children were forced to work in slave like conditions.
Karimov’s family also enriched itself under his rule. Exactly how much money they stole over the years remains unknown, but Swiss prosecutors recovered more than $800 million dollars during a corruption probe. But hey, Karimov is dead, so conditions will improve, right?
Probably not. Shavkat Mirziyaev has been appointed as the interim Prime Minister, and so far seems set to maintain the status quo. Uzbekistan’s isolated economy is controlled by a small number of people, and they have a vested interest in making sure that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
So far, Mirziyaev appears to be more than willing to maintain conditions in the country, and it is unlikely that the people will be given a real say through elections. Further, many experts believe that power truly lies with Rustam Inoyatov, the head of Uzbekistan’s primary intelligence agency. Inoyatov is already in his seventies, however, and suffering from failing health, so he’s unlikely to seize full control.
Uzbekistan likely won’t receive too much criticism from international authorities. The government has so far proven to be a reliable partner in the global war on terror, and has been effective in suppressing fundamentalist Islam.