Selective Justice and Liberalized Authoritarianism in Morocco

Abstract

This paper deals with the question of how a violent political legacy can be surpassed through a selective justice approach. This approach emerged during the early 1980s and was adopted by over 35 countries. Selective justice seeks alternatives to punitive justice for political crimes, attempting to establish a reconciliation between opposing parties, which can be achieved through revealing past acts, compensating for damages, maintaining memories, and committing to abandoning violence through the management of political differences. The paper focuses on Morocco, and discusses the question of reconciliation under the shadow of authoritarianism, as well as the enshrinement of human rights, as principles that guide political practice, in the absence of democratization.