where is it illegal to deny the existence of terrorism?

October 4, 2005 10:10 PM

Is it illegal in some places to deny the existence of terrorism or the severity of terrorist activity? If so, where?

I heard recently, though I cannot remember where (on tv, perhaps), that this is illegal in a particular country. I've tried a google search, and do find that it is illegal in some places in Europe to deny the existence of the Holocaust. Perhaps the source of the statement I heard was confusing these issues. In any case, I would be interested in knowing where this law might exist and what the law states.

posted by troybob to law & government (5 answers total)

We have always been at war with Oceana. Please close this thread.

Seriously, all searching on this topic produced nothing constructive. I am curious too, yet I could not refine my query.
posted by sourwookie at 11:27 PM on October 4, 2005

The UK Government is planning to make advocacy or glorification of terrorist events a crime. Could that be it? Apparently the Netherlands is doing something similar.
posted by biffa at 2:19 AM on October 5, 2005

Just a comment on the possibility the answer is "UK."

I understand that also in the UK, the BBC has a policy that it will not use the word "terrorist." The talkradio guy I heard it from claims it's because of "fear of offending," I tend to think it's in fact because it's a pejorative (your freedom fighter is my terrorist, and who is the BBC to judge), but as for denying the existence of terrorism, this policy seems actionable under the proposed UK laws as per biffa.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 2:39 AM on October 5, 2005

I don't think that's right about the BBC. A quick search on the BBC news website returns 2,883 hits for the word 'terrorist'.

"The police chief responsible for the City of London says it is only a matter of time before the capital's financial heartland is attacked by terrorists"...."A suspected international terrorist, one of 10 people appealing against deportation, has a history of absconding, a court has heard"..."The 10 were taken into custody on 11 August as part of a crackdown on terrorists and their supporters in the wake of the 7 July suicide bombings in London."..."The principles of terrorist finance are relatively straightforward - and relatively ageless." etc
posted by reynir at 5:56 AM on October 5, 2005

Thanks everybody...it was The Netherlands, and thanks to biffa's link i could get the exact phrasing that I heard (though I still don't remember where): individuals who glorify, trivialise or deny war crimes, genocide or terrorist attacks.
posted by troybob at 8:53 AM on October 5, 2005