Wetsvoorstel strafbaarstelling verheerlijken van terrorisme en openbare steunbetuiging aan terroristische organisaties

Reactie

Vraag1

I object to this bill because it constitutes a serious restriction of the fundamental right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, as enshrined in Article 7 of the Constitution and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The proposed criminalization is formulated too broadly and too vaguely, creating a significant risk of abuse. Terms such as "glorification" and "support" are open to interpretation and can lead to arbitrary application. This lowers the threshold for criminalizing legitimate political expression or acts of solidarity.

In the United Kingdom, we see how similar legislation is used to intimidate and punish peaceful protesters. People with disabilities, the blind, the elderly, and people in wheelchairs have been arrested there simply for participating in peaceful protests that were politically objectionable. This demonstrates that in practice, such laws are used not only against extremism but also to stifle public debate.

In the current international context, such as during protests against the violence in Gaza, this law could easily be abused to suppress criticism of states or support for oppressed populations. There is a real risk that peaceful protesters, journalists, or activists will be wrongly associated with "support for terrorism" simply because they show solidarity with victims in conflict zones.

Criminal law is a last resort and should not be used to silence controversial or unpopular opinions. Protection against terrorism is important, but this proposal violates fundamental freedoms without any demonstrable shortcomings in existing legislation.

I therefore urge you to reject this bill or at least significantly restrict its scope so that it cannot be used to criminalize peaceful protest and political expression.