2025/06/01 by Natalia Maystorovich Chulio · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Cambodian History and Society #Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics #Italian Fascism and Post-war Society
paper · pdf · doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.3901
openalex created_date 2025/06/01 · openalex publication_date 2025/06/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
After the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), Francisco Franco's dictatorship left a lasting imprint on Spain, with his narrative reflected in monuments and mass graves. The transition period (1975–1981) following Franco's death saw an amnesty that stifled accountability for past crimes, shrouded in private memory. Recent years have witnessed a surge in mass grave exhumations in Spain, aiming to reveal the buried truths of the nation's history, and revealing hidden atrocities. This article delves into forensic exhumations as a tool for transitional justice, typically used in legal proceedings to assign responsibility for civilian atrocities. Despite legal barriers like the Amnesty Law (1977) shielding pre-1976 cases from prosecution, private exhumations offer justice for victims' families. By fostering community collaboration at open exhumation sites, these efforts encourage the revision of collective memory and acknowledgment of past injustices. Through a transparent and collaborative process, forensic specialists merge scientific findings with testimonies, illuminating the fates of the disappeared and fostering truth and reconciliation.