Justice beyond compensation: How survivors of human rights violations in Türkiye experience ECtHR reparations

Abstract

This study examines how victims of serious human rights violations in Türkiye experience and perceive reparations awarded by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). While the ECtHR typically awards financial compensation for non-pecuniary damages, it also has the authority to recommend investigative and remedial measures as part of just satisfaction. Drawing on expectancy-disconfirmation theory and victimological approaches to reparative justice, the study explores how a select group of survivors, both recipients and non-recipients of ECtHR judgments, assess the extent to which these measures meet their expectations and justice needs. Findings show that ECtHR acknowledgment holds deep significance for survivors, especially where national recognition is lacking. Symbolic forms of reparation, such as acknowledgment, truth-telling, and accountability, are consistently viewed as more meaningful than monetary compensation. Participants across both groups prioritized ending ongoing harm and ensuring non-repetition. Legal recognition alone did not strongly shape perceptions of justice, and some participants reported added distress when reparative processes were delayed or obstructed. By highlighting the mismatch between the ECtHR’s current remedial framework and the more expansive, collective, and recognition-oriented expectations of victims, this study calls for a more victim-centered and contextually responsive approach to reparation in cases of widespread or systemic harm.