Transitional Justice in Process

When the Ben Ali regime fell in 2011, Tunisia moved quickly to confront its authoritarian past and launched a wide-ranging transitional justice process, with the Truth and Dignity Commission at its centre. Rather than delivering peace and justice, the process soon became a field of dispute.

This book looks at the process through a process-oriented lens. It explores why and how the transitional justice effort developed as it did and how it connects to Tunisia's wider political transition. It examines the part played by justice professionals at different stages, and the alliances and tensions among various groups of actors, which cut across the common assumption of a divide between local and international.

The study draws on extensive field research in Tunisia and the US and on interviews with a broad range of international stakeholders and decision-makers. It is the first comprehensive study of the Tunisian transitional justice process and offers an in-depth analysis of a pivotal period.