The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch says North Korea is one of the most abusive regimes in the world.

The watchdog’s Asia Advocacy Director Sophie Richardson said in a hearing at the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs that the North Korean government does not tolerate organized political opposition, free media, or religious freedom. She added that North Korea employs arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture.

Richardson said in particular that North Korea criminalizes leaving the country without state permission. He said that those who do leave face grave punishment upon repatriation, such as lengthy terms in detention facilities or forced labor camps.