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Bahrain

Bahrain has broad anti-terrorism laws that capture not only terrorists but also religious and political opponents to the regime. The 2006 Anti-Terrorism Law has been used to prosecute and convict Shia religious leaders, some of whom have been executed in recent years.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh has had detailed anti-terrorism legislation in place since 2009. Further to a 2013 amendment, the law allows executions for financial crimes of terrorism.

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Barbados

Barbados has dedicated antiterrorism legislation from 2002, which was amended in 2019. The law establishes a detailed list of terrorist offences where the purpose of the crime is to intimidate the public or coerce government conduct or which are defined in treaties to which Barbados is a State Party. The maximum sentence for terrorist offences was the death penalty, but this was reduced in 2019 to life imprisonment. There is a limited carve-out in the definition for the exercise of fundamental human rights.

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Belarus

Belarus has detailed anti-terrorism legislation, which is used to prosecute political opponents of the regime. In May 2022, Belarus adopted a new law which introduced the death penalty for “attempts to carry out acts of terrorism”. 

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Belgium

Belgium has detailed anti-terrorism legislation incorporated in its Criminal Code by the Terrorist Offences Act of 2003. In 2017, a new terrorist offence of travelling abroad for terrorist purposes was added. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights.

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Belize

Belize has detailed counterterrorism legislation from 2008. To constitute terrorism, a predicate offence must be not only to intimidate the public or compel government conduct, but must also be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial, or ideological cause. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights.

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Benin

Benin has detailed counterterrorism provisions within its Criminal Code, linking a series of predicate offences to relevant intent and impact on the State. The provisions are drafted broadly with a mandatory life sentence. They generally require serious impact on the State and an intent to intimidate the public or coerce government conduct. There is no carve-out from the definition of terrorism for the exercise of fundamental human rights. Benin has effectively abolished the death penalty following a decision by its Constitutional Court in 2016.

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Bhutan

Bhutan has had detailed terrorism legislation in place since 1991 and the Criminal Code punishes terrorism. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights. Bhutan's Constitution demands that every person take steps to prevent terrorism.

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Bolivia

Bolivia casts terrorism in very broad terms in its national legislation. Human Rights Watch has accused the serving president of instigating politically motivated charges of terrorism against the former regime.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina has detailed counterterrorism provisions in its criminal code that cover a range of offences committed to seriously intimidate the population or compel conduct by the authorities or seriously destabilize the fundamental structure of the State. There is no carve-out for the exercise of certain fundamental human rights.

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Botswana

Botswana adopted a dedicated counterterrorism law in 2014. Its material scope of application is very broad although there is a specific carve-out for peaceful protest in the law. The law was amended in 2018 to extend application to situations of armed conflict. 

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Brazil

Brazil has adopted detailed legislation on terrorism that contains a carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights, but in 2019 an amendment was proposed in Parliament that, if enacted, would broaden the scope of offences to encompass political opposition and protest. Brazil's Constitution addresses terrorism and terrorist defendants.

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