Comparative study between the ICTY and ICTR on memory, victims and future generations

Abstract

In this thesis, I will analyse how transitional justice relates to two conflicts, namely the territories of the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Because transitional justice covers a wide range of subjects, I have focused on memory. That is why I will first set out what memory is and what aspects of it will be exposed in the course of the paper. Since there are several ways in which these two complex conflicts can be studied, I have decided to focus on the ad hoc tribunals that were created in both cases. These tribunals were created specifically for the purpose of trying crimes committed in the territories. In the course of the paper it will become clear that the interaction between the tribunals and memory, although it may not be perceptible at times, does exist. In this paper I will not only focus on the victims, witnesses, or perpetrators (who have a direct connection to the tribunals), but also on future generations, who did not live through the conflict, but are living through the process of the trials and do not fully understand their figure and involvement.