Post-violence transitions, characterized by the aftermath of mass atrocities, civil wars, or repressive regimes, present complex challenges for societies striving to rebuild and establish sustainable peace. While fields like human rights, transitional justice, and memory studies have extensively engaged with these processes, the explicit role and contributions of criminology have often remained at the periphery. This article critically explores the multifaceted intersections between criminology and the dynamics of post-violence transitions, specifically focusing on human rights, grassroots activism, transitional justice mechanisms, and collective memory. We argue that criminology offers invaluable theoretical and analytical tools—such as insights into perpetration, victimology, state crime, and social control—that can significantly enrich the understanding and effectiveness of transitional processes. Conversely, the unique contexts of post-violence societies expand criminology's traditional scope, pushing it to address state-sponsored violence, collective trauma, and the complexities of accountability beyond conventional crime. By synthesizing existing scholarship, this paper demonstrates how an interdisciplinary criminological lens can deepen our understanding of justice "from below," the performance of transitional justice, the role of memory in shaping justice demands, and ultimately, contribute to more holistic and transformative approaches to peacebuilding and reconciliation.

Criminology, Post-conflict transitions, Human rights

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