Research Article

CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM

Volume: 3 Number: 1 June 30, 2025
EN TR

CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM

Abstract

Narratives of terrorism are often used and misused for political goals. This has never been as blatantly apparent as in the UK and the West in general after the 7 October raid where even genocide is being legitimised as self-defence against terrorism. The hypocrisy of presenting resistance fighters as terrorists while entirely disregarding the state terrorism of the oppressor is nothing new. This article looks back at British narratives surrounding apartheid South Africa and the liberation movement fighting against it to draw parallels with the current hypocritical branding of Palestinian resistance fighters as terrorists while ignoring blatant state terrorism perpetrated by the occupier. The paper further analyses the use and abuse of the UK Terrorism Act in the current context, which reveals a severe assault on freedom of expression with the apparent goal of not merely manufacturing consent for the genocide but also forcefully concealing the lack of such consent and the outright rejection of the terrorism narrative in a large part of the general public. Finally, the paper briefly outlines how the UK terrorism narrative has infiltrated the International Criminal Court (ICC) through the language chosen by its British Prosecutor.

Keywords

References

  1. Bayev and Others v Russia App nos. 67667/09 and 2 others (ECtHR, 20 June 2017)
  2. Castells v Spain App no 11798/85 (ECtHR, 23 April 1992)
  3. Dink v Turkey App no 2668/07 and others (ECHR, 14 September 2010)
  4. Gaši and Others v Serbia App no 24738/19 (ECHR, 6 September 2022)
  5. Goodwin v United Kingdom App no 17488/90 (ECHR, 27 March 1996)
  6. Haji and Others v Azerbaijan App no 3503/10 and others (ECtHR, 1 October 2020)
  7. Handyside v the United Kingdom App no 5493/72 (ECtHR, 7 December 1976)
  8. Huseynova v Azerbaijan App no 10653/10 (ECHR, 13 April 2017)

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Criminal Law, International Criminal Law

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Polona Florijancic *
United Kingdom

Publication Date

June 30, 2025

Submission Date

January 27, 2025

Acceptance Date

June 27, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 3 Number: 1

APA
Florijancic, P. (2025). CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM. The Boğaziçi Law Review, 3(1), 28-63. https://doi.org/10.69800/blr.1627717
AMA
1.Florijancic P. CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM. BLR. 2025;3(1):28-63. doi:10.69800/blr.1627717
Chicago
Florijancic, Polona. 2025. “CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM”. The Boğaziçi Law Review 3 (1): 28-63. https://doi.org/10.69800/blr.1627717.
EndNote
Florijancic P (June 1, 2025) CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM. The Boğaziçi Law Review 3 1 28–63.
IEEE
[1]P. Florijancic, “CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM”, BLR, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 28–63, June 2025, doi: 10.69800/blr.1627717.
ISNAD
Florijancic, Polona. “CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM”. The Boğaziçi Law Review 3/1 (June 1, 2025): 28-63. https://doi.org/10.69800/blr.1627717.
JAMA
1.Florijancic P. CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM. BLR. 2025;3:28–63.
MLA
Florijancic, Polona. “CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM”. The Boğaziçi Law Review, vol. 3, no. 1, June 2025, pp. 28-63, doi:10.69800/blr.1627717.
Vancouver
1.Polona Florijancic. CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE THROUGH TERRORISM LAWS: CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM. BLR. 2025 Jun. 1;3(1):28-63. doi:10.69800/blr.1627717