What is an example of tyranny by the few

An example of tyranny by the few is like putting someone in jail for many years just for a small crime.

An example of a tyranny by the few would be an oligarchy. The word oligarchy comes from the greek oligarkhía, which means "rule of the few". In an oligarchy, a few powerful people command government, even if they were not elected by the majority, or if the majority of people do not want them in power. This gives an oligarchy the power to suppress dissent, impose arbitrary laws, and jail political opossition. In history, there have been many examples of oligarchies. The military dictatorships that spread in Latin American during the XX Century is a perfect example.