Friday, August 20, 2021 | 08:00 EDT | 13:00 BST | 14:00 CEST | 21:00 KST | Register here

Transitional justice often implies a political or institutional transition in which a state and society moves from the aftermath of conflict toward peace, justice, and reconciliation. Yet in cases where massive human rights violations have occurred and there is no foreseeable political or institutional resolution, can transitional justice exist before a political transition takes place?

These questions have become particularly imperative in the contexts of both Syria and North Korea where human rights violations endure and political transitions seem unlikely. Over the past decade, Syrian human rights defenders have been laying the foundations for pre-transitional justice—from documentation of human rights violations to psychological rehabilitation of victims to universal jurisdiction cases. In this context, what lessons can be learned by North Korea’s human rights defenders from the challenges and successes for Syria?

Register to hear from:

• Ibrahim al-Kasem. Executive Director, Caesar Files Group; Research Fellow, European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights

• Joumana Seif. Research Fellow, European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights; Co-Founder, Syrian Women's Network and Syrian Women Political Movement

• Iavor Rangelov. Research Fellow, LSE IDEAS, London School of Economics and Political Science; Co-Founder, Civic Ecosystems Initiative

• Hae Ju Kang. Co-Director, Korea Future