Argentina's Commitment to International Criminal Justice to Address the Crimes of the Last Dictatorship (1976-1983)

This article will explain how Argentina developed a strong commitment to international criminal justice to address the crimes of the last dictatorship (1976-1983) that transcended the local dimension and shaped the field globally. In particular, the article will focus on three specific dimensions: the disputes surrounding the concept of `dirty war' in relation to the crimes committed in the 1970s and how its legal conceptualisation has evolved over time; how domestic courts have applied international and domestic criminal law to judge these crimes and how this has changed over time; and, finally, what was the role of human rights organisations in fostering the accountability process.