Justice Under Strain and Tutelage: Trials in Istanbul, Challenge & Emotions to International Law (1919–1920)

This NWO-funded project explores the Istanbul Military Tribunals (1919-1920) as a foundational yet largely overlooked moment in the emergence of international criminal law. Drawing on Ottoman legal records, diplomatic archives, and contemporary press sources, it investigates how law, emotion, and sovereignty were performatively negotiated in the aftermath of mass violence. It demonstrates how collective affects shaped perceptions of justice and legal legitimacy. By foregrounding non-Western experiences and emphasizing both the historical and emotional dimensions of law, the project offers an innovative interdisciplinary perspective on transitional justice; one that can enrich collective memory work and contribute to the pursuit of sustainable dialogue and peace.