National security and free speech: counter-terrorism as a pretext for silencing political dissent

Journal article

This article examines the global attacks on freedom of expression precipitated by the war in Gaza through the lens of internation law and the role of the human rights advocate in an age of democratic decline. It argues that terrorist-related speech offences —and counter terrorism efforts more broadly—undermine human rights and stifle public debate on the most pressing political issues of the day by bestowing upon States enormous power to silence unpopular and divisive viewpoints in the name of national security. States wield this power within the context of a discourse plagued by counter-protective binaries such as "good and evil" and "terrorism and counter-terrorism" that distract from the human cost of the counter-terrorism project.

Authors: Bechtold, E

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Sweet and Maxwell
• Journal: European Human Rights Law Review
• Volume: 2026
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 49-64
• Publication date: 2026-02-01
• Acceptance date: 2025-12-19
• EISSN: 1361-1526
• Language: English
• Keywords: freedom of expression; national security; occupied palestinian territories; political activities; prevention of terrorism; terrorist offences