Relativising Atrocity Crimes: The Message of Unconditional Early Release of Perpetrators Convicted by the ICTY (1998 – 2018)

Abstract Despite being found guilty of egregious acts, crimes against humanity and war crimes, 54 the 90 perpetrators sentenced by International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia ( icty ) were granted unconditional early release uer ). This article argues that did a disservice to two principal expressive purposes punishment - moral condemnation overall norm projected , ‘universal repugnance group-based killing’. Fundamentally, signifies inherent worth victims. Interviews with key stakeholders in Bosnia Herzegovina revealed interviewees largely concurred authors who posit punitive justice conveys valuable messages audiences. complements expressivist theories demonstrating extent which expressivism was negated as . Finally, it proposes how future tribunals courts might be tailored counter negation international criminal justice’s value.