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RICR Décembre IRRC December 2002 Vol. 84 No 848
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This has led to a common scenario in which exhumations are carried out,
but then the unidentified remains are put into storage indefinitely at a forensic institution, with no further attempt to identify them.
Lack of access to certain scientific and technical processes can cause
efforts to be focused on establishing the cause of death, rather than on identification. Legal requirements thus take precedence over the families’
humanitarian needs. Before embarking on any case, be it the exhumation of
one or two bodies or a large-scale, internationally-sponsored investigation,
careful thought should be given at the outset to this balance of interests and
needs – with due consideration and priority given wherever necessary to the
wishes of the families.
The impact on the families
Regardless of cultural, ideological or religious differences, there are
similarities in the impact of a disappearance on families which have experienced periods of political violence. The relatives of a person who has forcibly
disappeared first of all suffer the sudden kidnapping of a child, sibling or
spouse whom they never see alive again. They have no news of their loved
ones and are left in total ignorance of their fate, not knowing whether they
are dead or alive, precisely because the authorities responsible for the disappearance refuse to give them information. Moreover, the justice system does
not investigate their cases and so for years they live in limbo. Even in countries where families know that their relatives have most likely been assassinated, they still cling to the hope that they may return alive. Until their
bodies are found or their death is confirmed, there can be no funeral rites and
no final answers. Thus in almost every case there is affliction, fear and a
deeply disrupted family life, together with a desperate need to recover the
remains so they can give them proper burial and close – if only partially – the
agonizing circle of uncertainty.
During excavations, relatives often ask to be present throughout the
entire process, and in some places — such as Iraqi Kurdistan and Ethiopia —
have even worked alongside us, because they say that it helps fulfil their need
to do something more for their loved ones. So while the archeologists are
mindful of the methodological constraints, they also work within a much
broader — so to speak – human landscape, because in many cases they become
emotionally involved with the relatives and their stories. The forensic work is
made more transparent and understandable for the victims’ relatives when
they are able to observe the forensic team and ask us questions directly.