including those of restoring and maintaining peace (because by exposing the truth, societies are able to prevent the recurrence of similar events), facilitating reconciliation processes (because knowing the truth has been deemed essential to heal rifts in communities), contributing to the eradication of impunity (because knowing the truth about who was responsible for violations leads to accountability), reconstructing national identities (by unifying countries through dialogue about a shared history), and setting down a historical record (because the ‘‘truth’’ of what happened can be debated openly and vigorously in court, adding credibility to the evidence accepted in a criminal judgment). […] It could also be contended that the right to the truth underlies the very process of criminal indictment by ensuring proper investigation of crimes and transparency in the form of habeas corpus procedures in the detention of individuals by the state, as well as by requiring public access to official documents. Where judgments have been made, the satisfaction of the right to the truth may arguably form part of reparations to victims. 4 “The right to the truth has emerged as a legal concept in various jurisdictions and in many guises. Its origins may be traced to the right under international humanitarian law of families to know the fate of their relatives, recognized by Articles 32 and 33 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, as well as obligations incumbent on parties to armed conflicts to search for persons who have been reported missing.” 5 “Enforced disappearances of persons and other egregious human rights violations during periods of extreme, state- sponsored mass violence, particularly in various countries of Latin America but also 4 Taken from: Yasmin Naqvi, “The right to the truth in international law: fact Red Cross, June 2006, Original Version No. 862, pg. 3-4. review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/irrc_862_2.pdf 5 Taken from: Yasmin Naqvi, “The right to the truth in international law: fact Red Cross, June 2006, Original Version No. 862, pg. 5 review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/irrc_862_2.pdf or fiction?” International Review of the Available at https://internationalor fiction?” International Review of the Available at https://international-