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Brunei Darussalam

The Kingdom of Brunei has broad terrorism legislation that potentially encompasses the exercise of fundamental human rights as a terrorist offence.

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Bulgaria

Bulgaria has dedicated terrorism provisions in its criminal code. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights.

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Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso criminalizes terrorism in dedicated laws, first adopted in 2009 and then amended in 2015. There is no explicit carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights. The death penalty was abolished in 2018.

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Burundi

Burundi introduced changes to its criminal code in 2009 to address terrorism. The maximum sentence is life imprisonment. There is, however, no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights. 

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Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde's constitution pledges its participation in the international fight against terrorism. Its criminal code has been amended by a 2013 law to address terrorist offences in general. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights. The Code had earlier criminalized terror attacks against civilians specifically in the context of an armed conflict, in accordance with international humanitarian law, but this provision has been revoked.

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Cambodia

Cambodia has dedicated terrorism legislation in force. A law adopted in 1992 to punish terrorism was supplemented by a 2007 statute to give force to United Nations sectoral treaties and relevant Security Council resolutions. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights.   

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Cameroon

Cameroon has dedicated terrorism legislation enacted in 2014, but which has been widely criticized for its chilling effect on freedom of expression and the work of journalists and civil society. The mandatory death penalty, a violation of fundamental human rights, is prescribed for acts of terrorism and for training terrorists.

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Canada

Canada has detailed legislation on terrorism. Adopted by Parliament in late 2001 following the 9/11 attacks against the United States, the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) amended the Criminal Code and a number of other Acts. The definition, which in many respects is a model one, has explicit carve-outs for the exercise of fundamental human rights and acts committed during an armed conflict in accordance with international law.

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Central African Republic

The Central African Republic addresses terrorism on a sectoral level in a chapter of its Criminal Code. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights.

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Chad

Chad has broad terrorism legislation adopted in 2015, which was revised in 2020 to remove the death penalty for terrorist offences.

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Chile

Chile has dedicated legislation on terrorism, first adopted in 1984. The Constitution declares that terrorism is contrary to human rights. In the past, however, the law is said to have been misused to target ethnic minority groups.

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China

China has very broad terrorism legislation in place, which it has used to target Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang province. Although capital punishment is not prescribed per se for terrorist offences, many predicate crimes already attract the death penalty. The laws on terrorism are contained in the general criminal law as well as in a dedicated terrorism law adopted in 2016 (and subsequently amended). In 2020, in the Hong Kong Administrative Region, the Chinese government introduced its National Security Law, which criminalises “separatism”, “subversion of state power”, “terrorism”, and “collusion with foreign or overseas forces to endanger State security". 

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