Call for Papers: Thematic Issue 2025 ‘Restorative Justice in Post-Soviet States Eastern Europe and Central Asia cases’

Home / Call for Papers: Thematic Issue 2025 ‘Restorative Justice in Post-Soviet States Eastern Europe and Central Asia cases’

(2026) Thematic Issue: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN POST-SOVIET STATES, EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA CASES

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19050464 | ISBN: 978-1-80463-080-8 | Journal ISSN (online): 2056-2985

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Guest Editor: Natalia Potryvaieva and Oleh Semenenko | n.potryvaieva@ukr.net

Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Theo Gavrielides | contact@rj4allpublications.com

About the guest Editors: Natalia Potryvaieva and Oleh Semenenko

Natalia Potryvaieva is a Doctor of Military Sciences, Professor, and Head of the Research Department for Economic Analysis of Construction and Development Activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the Central Research Institute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kyiv.

Oleh Semeneko is a Doctor of Military Sciences, Professor, Deputy Head of the Central Research Institute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kyiv. He graduated from the Kyiv Institute of Air Forces and specializes in the construction and development of the Armed Forces. His recent research focuses on military-economic justification of strategic security and defense objectives, resource management in defense systems, technological superiority in large-scale armed conflicts, and the development of methods for assessing the firepower and strike capabilities of military units.

Focus

As part of the Internet Journal of Restorative Justice’s Special Issues we would like to invite you to submit theoretical and practical contributions to our forthcoming thematic issue ‘Restorative Justice in Post-Soviet States Eastern Europe and Central Asia’ cases with Guest Editor Natalia Potryvaieva.

The journal is seeking manuscripts that connect with the theme of addressing the Special Issues themes. All submitted articles that meet the special issues’ guidelines will go through a double-blind peer review process.

Call for Papers

More than three decades have passed since the Soviet Union collapsed, but its successor states in Europe and Asia still struggle to build transparent, democratic, and equitable legal systems that work not only on paper. The USSR left behind a legacy of authoritarianism, centralized control, corruption, selective application of laws, politicized judicial processes, and limited access to justice. These problems are not going anywhere, but they become more relevant when wars, economic and political instability, and humanitarian crises unfold in the background. War and displacement have created new vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons, war victims, and marginalised communities, whose voices are often absent from formal justice processes.

In this context, restorative justice offers an alternative which, if applied correctly, can turn the situation around. By prioritizing dialogue, community engagement, and victim-centered processes, this approach increases citizens’ trust in institutions and transparency in government agencies, and most importantly, restores justice. This thematic Issue aims to explore how restorative justice can contribute to legal reform, social healing, and governance transformation in post-Soviet contexts.

The novelty of this issue lies in the fact that, although restorative justice is applied in various global contexts, its role in transitional and post-conflict post-Soviet societies remains understudied. This thematic issue will:

• Directly apply restorative justice concept in post-Soviet states.
• Explore its relevance in post-war and transitional justice processes.
• Emphasize the integration of modern technologies (artificial intelligence, blockchain) to promote restorative mechanisms.
• Provide practical examples and comparative perspectives from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, offering lessons that are both regionally and globally relevant.

This collection will bring together legal scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and civil society representatives to explore innovative ways to transform justice beyond traditional models.

Why is this particularly important in post-Soviet countries? Countries with a troubled past often face similar challenges, including centralized control and a weak culture of accountability, delays, corruption, and lack of independence in courts, lack of access to justice for vulnerable groups, and limited mechanisms for citizens to participate in justice processes. Addressing these issues requires both structural reform and cultural change in how justice is perceived and delivered. That is precisely the goal of this issue.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

1. Restorative justice in transitional and post-conflict societies
2. Governance and rule of law
3. Impact of crisis on legal systems
4. Community-based approaches to justice and reconciliation
5. Access to justice and social equity
6. Protection of the vulnerable population
7. Digital tools for facilitating restorative justice processes
8. Empowering marginalized voices through restorative justice mechanisms

Submission Information

If you wish and are interested in contributing to the IJRJ, please consult our Author Guidelines and Editorial Policy outlining all the key information. We aim to have all manuscripts to be peer-reviewed within a 4-6 weeks’ time frame before being accepted for publication.

Manuscript submission:   Until November 15th, 2025

Suggested publication date:   April 2026

The Internet Journal of Restorative Justice is published by RJ4All Publications, a branch of Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All) International Institute which is an international NGO with a mission to advance community and social cohesion, and redistribute power within society at the local, national and international levels.

Please submit your manuscript to ijrj@rj4allpublications.com