Guilty knowledge: A postcolonial inquiry into knowledge, suspicion, and responsibility in the fight against terrorism financing

Abstract This article studies practices of knowledge production during counterterrorism financing court cases in European courts. Developments international law have contributed to novel regulations criminalise and prosecute the funding terrorism advance terrorist violence. In this study, we study how become important spaces for contesting evaluating multiple claims on threat suspicion by analysing case proceedings from both Netherlands United Kingdom. Building recent debates International Relations postcolonial theory, make two contributions. First, building insights literature ‘abyssal thinking’, illustrate legal differentiate between different ways knowing dismissing certain experiences as ‘emotional’ or ‘subjective’ contrast assumed objectivity other claims. We argue that decisions what counts a setting are situated specific sociopolitical setting, whereby particular life-worlds recognised at expense others. Second, empirically show criminal laws shifts responsibility know state ordinary citizens. reinforces new security logics where can entertain doubt, uncertainty, trust their practices, while citizens cannot.