These cases exemplify violations of artistic freedom in which artists are subject to legal prosecution on allegations that they pose a threat to national security. 

Even through governments have been responsible to protect their citizens in situations when their security has been compromised or under threat, violations of artistic freedom committed on the grounds of national security documented by Freemuse exemplify restrictions imposed to freedom of expression which fail to pass necessity and proportionality tests. These charges are mainly pressed against artists who publicly criticise the authorities, while in some countries the artists with minority background have been particularly vulnerable to these legal prosecutions. 

The research demonstrates that the national security and counterterrorism laws are often applied arbitrarily to thwart criticism expressed through art and they can prescribe long-term prison sentences. Artists are commonly subject to investigations for alleged glorification of terrorism, membership of a terrorist organisation, insult of victims of terrorist attacks and spreading terrorist propaganda through their expressions – artistic or otherwise.