Reducing Mass Atrocities Through Transitional Justice
July 21st, 2025
The article by Claire Greenstein and David Muchlinski, published in the Journal of Human Rights and titled “Reducing Mass Atrocities Through Transitional Justice”, examines whether transitional justice mechanisms effectively contribute to preventing or reducing the recurrence of mass atrocities.
Although these tools are often adopted with the aim of avoiding future human rights violations, there has so far been a lack of systematic analysis of their actual impact. The authors address this gap by using split-population duration models and two datasets (one on mass atrocities and one on transitional justice) to assess the relationship between the implementation of measures such as trials, truth commissions, exile, or purges, and the likelihood of a new wave of violence.
Their findings show that, in countries affected by previous mass killings, the adoption of at least one of these mechanisms within five years of the end of conflict results in a fourfold increase in the average time before a new atrocity occurs, compared to states that adopt none.
For more information on the article, click here.