ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the origins and evolution of amnesty traditions in ancient societies. It reviews the contexts into which, and reasons for which, amnesties were used in the past in order to assess whether there is a degree of continuity between ancient and modern amnesties. The chapter focuses on the practice of including amnesty clauses in European peace treaties from the late Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. It provides a typology of modern amnesties classifying them in several broad categories, depending on their context of adoption, and looks at the moral dilemmas to which they are associated in such contexts, explaining their controversial nature. The chapter addresses the argument deriving from the existence of international obligations to prosecute perpetrators of international crimes. It discusses the argument linked to the right to a remedy of victims of human rights violations.
