Truth and reconciliation? Transitional Justice in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia

Transitional justice is an urgent priority in post-revolutionary Arab states. Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have yet to properly embark on inclusive transitional justice processes to address human rights abuses of the past and the deep divides caused by turbulent political transitions, thus paving the way for national reconciliation.

The record so far has been mixed, with Tunisia making some progress while Egypt and Libya lag very much behind. As long as a fundamental consensus among key political players is absent, justice and accountability measures can easily turn to vengeance and destabilise the new political order. A transparent transitional justice would help build public confidence in the transition and heal the wounds caused by decades of repression.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The struggle for pluralism after the North African Revolutions http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-struggle-for-pluralism-after-the-north-african-revolutions/

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