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BE · Quoted clause attached

Belgium

Art. 140bis is public incitement that creates a risk of a terrorist offence — not free-floating apologie. Independent praise is not the charged form on this quote. New Code art. 376 (in force 1 September 2026) is named; its full text is Unproven here.

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Independent-praise crime?
Art. 140bis is public incitement that creates a risk of a terrorist offence — not free-floating apologie. Independent praise is not the charged form on this quote. New Code art. 376 (in force 1 September 2026) is named; its full text is Unproven here.
Live statuteSupportedBEListed-speech offence

art. 140bis

Code pénal (livre Ierter, infractions terroristes)

Target
Public dissemination of a message intending to incite a terrorist offence, creating a risk that such an offence may be committed
Test
Whether or not the message directly advocates the offence. Risk gate. Not free-floating apologie on this quote.
Max
Réclusion 5 to 10 years and a fine
Sans préjudice de l'application de l'article 140, toute personne qui diffuse ou met à la disposition du public de toute autre manière un message, avec l'intention d'inciter à la commission d'une des infractions visées aux articles 137 ou 140sexies, à l'exception de celle visée au article 137, § 3, 6°, sera punie de la réclusion de cinq ans à dix ans et d'une amende de cent euros à cinq mille euros, lorsqu'un tel comportement, qu'il préconise directement ou non la commission d'infractions terroristes, crée le risque qu'une ou plusieurs de ces infractions puissent être commises.

Official French extract of art. 140bis. New Penal Code Book II entered into force 1 September 2026; concordance maps 140bis to art. 376. Full official text of 376 is Unproven here.

Cite · C. pén. art. 140bis · as of 2026-09-05

  • Do not collapse 140bis into French 421-2-5 apologie.
  • This is incitement-with-risk, closer to EU FD 2008/919 than to Israel §24 independent praise.
  • Do not speak as if Belgium always had a free-floating apologie crime. Until 1 September 2026 it did not, on this record.
  • Listed-speech class on this desk. The quoted test is incitement-with-risk, not free-floating apologie and not Israel §24.
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