ABSTRACT
Child soldiers have been widely used during hostilities in the Arab world, particularly since 2011. They commit various atrocities, leading to negative consequences for themselves and their communities, such as rejection and prosecution under anti-terrorism laws. Nevertheless, imprisoning them based on criminal laws fails to rehabilitate or reintegrate them into society. Drawing from a deep literature review and 13 interviews with experts and specialists conducted during 2020 through Zoom and Microsoft Teams, this chapter argues that addressing child soldiers’ criminal liability in Arab countries can be the first step toward reconciliation and reintegration. However, addressing children’s criminal liability does not necessarily mean using retributive justice; instead, the authors argue that restorative justice presents a more suitable approach to address their liability and the victims’ needs to promote justice while restoring relationships among parties. The chapter analyzes Sulh, namely, a traditional restorative dispute resolution mechanism central to many Arab countries as a method to work with child soldiers.
