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treason, the crime of betraying a nation or a sovereign by acts considered dangerous to security. In English law, treason includes the levying of war against the government and the giving of aid and comfort to the monarch’s enemies. It is also treason to violate the monarch’s consort, eldest unmarried daughter, or heir’s wife.

In the United States, treason was defined restrictively by the framers of the Constitution. History had taught them that men in power might falsely or loosely charge treason against their opponents; therefore, they denied Congress the authority to enlarge or reshape the offense. Treason against the United States “shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them aid and comfort.”

The Japanese law of treason places special emphasis on acts designed to frustrate the country’s alliances with other powers. This is mainly a consequence of Japan’s renunciation of war after World War II. A Japanese citizen may thus be punished for advocating war against another nation. See also sedition.