10. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Population: 31.54 million
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the name implies, is built upon a system of government, which bequeaths sweeping executive powers in the al-Saud royal family, and primarily, the King. The King simultaneously holds the position of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the office is currently occupied by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The country’s unwavering attitude towards opposition can be demonstrated by the fact that Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was executed amongst others for pro-democracy, anti-government protests, although the official death sentence was for alleged “terrorist activities”.
