Transitional justice in process: Plans and politics Tunisia

Transitional justice in process is the first book that comprehensively studies the Tunisian transitional justice process, covering its initiation, design, and performance. The book makes an essential contribution to literature on the domestic and international politics of transitional justice. 'In addition to offering a timely and carefully-detailed portrait of Tunisians’ efforts to pursue justice after 2011, Salehi’s book illustrates the important role that case studies can play in theory development. The analytic clarity with which the book distinguishes between initiating, designing, and performing transitional justice helps elucidate dynamic features of a process that Salehi approaches as fundamentally non-linear and non-teleological. This processual approach is one that offers insights for scholars and practitioners alike and should be transferrable to contexts beyond Tunisia.' Stacey Philbrick Yadav, author of Yemen in the Shadow of Transition ‘This is a serious and thorough treatment of an important topic that provides a number of valuable insights. It not only makes an important contribution to our understanding of the post-revolutionary politics of Tunisia, but also throws light on the global phenomenon of transitional justice in the wake of conflict and revolution.’ Charles Tripp, SOAS, University of LondonAfter the fall of the Ben Ali regime in 2011, Tunisia swiftly began dealing with its authoritarian past and initiated a comprehensive transitional justice process, with the Truth and Dignity Commission as its central institution. However, instead of bringing about peace and justice, transitional justice soon became an arena of contention. Based on extensive field research in Tunisia and the United States and interviews with a broad range of Tunisian and international stakeholders and decision-makers, this book explores why the transitional justice process evolved and how it relates to the country’s political transition. After the fall of the Ben Ali regime in 2011, Tunisia swiftly began dealing with its authoritarian past and initiated a comprehensive transitional justice process, with the Truth and Dignity Commission as its central institution. However, instead of bringing about peace and justice, transitional justice soon became an arena of contention. Through a process lens, the book explores why and how the process evolved, and explains how it relates to the country’s political transition. Based on extensive field research in Tunisia and the US, and interviews with a broad range of international stakeholders and decision-makers, this is the first book to comprehensively study the Tunisian transitional justice process. It provides an in-depth analysis of a crucial period, examining the role of justice professionals in different stages, as well as the alliances and frictions between different actor groups that cut across the often-assumed local-international divide.