Daniel Rezene Mekonnen

Transitional Justice: Framing a Model for Eritrea Daniel Rezene Mekonnen

International crimes, such as, crimes againsthumanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression, have been perpetrated in Eritrea since 1991 in analarming manner. Some of these have been perpetratedunder premeditated government plan of persecution, portraying a widespread and systematic policy ofrepression. As a result, some high-ranking governmentofficials can be tentatively identified as the mostresponsible perpetrators, bearing individual criminalresponsibility for grave violations of internationallaw. To end the culture of impunity, internationalcriminal justice, administered by the InternationalCriminal Court, foreign municipal courts, or nationalor mixed tribunals, should be instituted immediately. However, in the event of a negotiated and peacefulpolitical transition, conditional amnestyadministered by a democratically constituted truthand reconciliation commission is also regarded as anacceptable option. The book highlights that any modelof transitional justice for Eritrea should be basedon these assumptions. Academics, policymakers andpractitioners working in the area of human rights, transitional justice and international criminal lawmay find it relevant.