Includes bibliographical references and index. Kovras, I. (2014). Truth recovery and transitional justice: Deferring human rights issues. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Truth recovery for missing persons and the global diffusion of 'truth' -- Transitional justice and truth recovery -- The concept of truth and a critique of the literature -- Research questions and hypotheses -- The puzzles -- Greece: resisting post-transitional justice -- Central argument -- Book outline -- Part I: Prolonged silences -- Spain: the persistence of the 'pact of silence' -- The questions -- Alternative explanations -- Transition and hegemonic frames -- Societal silence -- Political institutions -- PSOE: forgetting the past or pragmatic considerations? -- Conclusions -- The prevention of truth recovery for missing persons in Cyprus -- Alternative explanations -- Framing transition and policy outcomes -- Missing frames -- Three framing strategies to address the problem -- Hegemonic belief -- Political learning -- Institutions and political culture -- Institutionalized victims' associations -- Conclusion -- Cases compared: hegemonic silence and the 'linkage trap' -- The rule of law and amnesties in transitions -- 'Revealing is healing'? -- Hagiography of victims -- Part II: Post-transitional justice -- The crumbling of the pact of silence in Spain -- The puzzles - Alternative explanations -- Political opportunities -- The volte face of Aznar -- 'Desaparecidos' and the split in the memory movement -- Polarization and political opportunities -- The 2004 election and the 'second transition' -- The 'super judge' -- Elite framing -- Conclusion -- The success story of the Cyprus problem -- Linkage negotiations -- The limitations of the 'linkage' strategy in the RoC -- The first indications of delinkage at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs -- The turning point -- The 'missed chance' of 1997 -- The implementation of delinkage policy -- Overcoming the debacle in the CMP -- The volte face of Turkey under AKP -- The ECtHR and Turkey's moderation -- Ousting Denktas -- Delinking exhumations from truth recovery -- The emergence of a new vocal actor: relatives across the divide -- Conclusions -- The Greek puzzle -- Alternative explanations -- The Greek path to reconciliation -- Linkage of truth recovery to a sensitive national issue - Party ideology: limited socialization to human rights norms -- Conclusion -- Cases compared: belated truth-seekers and post-transitional justice -- Post-transitional justice: overcoming the 'linkage trap' -- Patterns of post-transitional justice -- Political learning -- Revised international normative framework -- Advancements in forensic science -- Resisting post-transitional justice -- Delinkag lessons for transitional justice -- Conclusion 'unearthing the truth' -- Overview of findings -- Constructing and maintaining silence -- Delinkage and breaking prolonged silences -- The role of ideas in transitional justice -- Policy considerations -- The soft power of Europe -- Victims' groups: good intention, positive outcomes? -- Da Capo

This book investigates why some societies defer transitional justice issues after successful democratic consolidation. Despite democratization, the exhumation of mass graves containing the victims from the violence in Cyprus (1963-1974) and the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was delayed until the early 2000s, when both countries suddenly decided to revisit the past. Although this contradicts the action of other countries such as South Africa, Bosnia and Guatemala where truth recovery for disappeared/missing persons was a central element of the transition to peace and democracy Cyprus and Spain are not alone: this is an increasing trend among countries trying to come to terms with past violence. Truth Recovery and Transitional Justice considers the case studies of Spain and Cyprus and explores three interrelated issues. First, the book examines which factors can explain prolonged silence on the issue of missing persons in transitional settings. It then goes on to explore the transformation of victims' groups from opponents of truth recovery to vocal pro-reconciliation pressure groups, and examines the circumstances in which it is better to tie victims' rights to an overall political settlement. Finally, the author goes on to compare Spain and Cyprus with Greece - a country that remains resistant to post-transitional justice norms. This book will be of interest to students of transitional justice, human rights, peace and conflict studies and security studies in general.