Terrorism and the right to life : An examination of Sweden´s obligations to the right to life in counter-terrorism legislation and threat estimation

Terrorism, regardless of motive, is a real threat against democracy and human rights, specifically in terms of this thesis – a threat against the right to life. But not all forms of terrorism are given the status which enables a prioritised and effective preventive strategy, and some domestic legislations show a tilt towards certain forms of terrorism – resulting in the neglect of other forms. This thesis uses a legal method combined with a theory deriving from critical security studies to examine Swedish legislation and official terrorism threat estimations in relation to international human rights law and the right to life. The review of the material reveals a tendency to highlight the threat from violent Islamic extremism and a reluctance to view white-supremacy groups as an equally grave potential threat. The conclusion that can be made from the analysis of the material is that the negligence of the white-supremacy movements does not result in a violation of the right to life. At the same time, the active inclusion of white-supremacy groups in legislation and threat-estimations could by effect result in a more effective protection of the right to life with regards to terror attacks.