{"id":1057,"date":"2021-03-11T07:46:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T07:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.declassifieduk.org\/britain-backs-most-of-the-worlds-repressive-regimes-new-analysis-shows\/"},"modified":"2023-04-26T12:17:14","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T11:17:14","slug":"britain-backs-most-of-the-worlds-repressive-regimes-new-analysis-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.declassifieduk.org\/britain-backs-most-of-the-worlds-repressive-regimes-new-analysis-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain backs most of the world\u2019s repressive regimes, new analysis shows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Freedom House, a Washington-based think tank <\/span>funded<\/span><\/a> almost entirely by the US government, published a <\/span>report<\/span><\/a> last week designating 64 of the world\u2019s 210 countries or territories as \u201cnot free\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n More than half of them are ruled by regimes supported to varying degrees by the United Kingdom, <\/span>Declassified<\/span><\/i> has found.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Britain sells arms, provides security training or has troops deployed to at least 36 of the countries listed as \u201cnot free\u201d, comprising 56% of the total.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The regimes range from absolute monarchies to those run by authoritarian leaders who hold unfair elections or subject territories to military occupation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The findings undermine the British government\u2019s constant claim to be a \u201c<\/span>force for good<\/span><\/a>\u201d in the world. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Boris Johnson\u2019s 2019 election manifesto said \u201cour alliances with like-minded democracies\u201d were a reason \u201cfor the UK to hold its head high\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Freedom House ranks countries according to their electoral systems, freedom of speech and rule of law.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although many of the countries listed by the think tank as \u201cnot free\u201d are opposed by the UK \u2014 such as Russia, China, Syria and Iran \u2014 most are UK allies.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n These include Gulf regimes like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Egypt, Turkey, Uganda, Rwanda, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Brunei.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone opposing authoritarian rule in these states \u2014 whether political activists, human rights advocates or journalists \u2014 is vulnerable to being killed, kidnapped or sentenced to jail.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Africa has a number of countries designated as \u201cnot free\u201d where regimes receive strong UK support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One is Egypt\u2019s military junta, which has arrested as many as <\/span>60,000 political prisoners<\/span><\/a> since overthrowing the country\u2019s democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Morsi died after being put on trial and his son Abdullah is believed to have been <\/span>assassinated<\/span><\/a> by poisoning. Last year Egypt hanged <\/span>152<\/span><\/a> prisoners, including <\/span>activists<\/span><\/a> from Morsi\u2019s party, the Muslim Brotherhood.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2018Not free\u2019<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n