to truth, not only to the victim and their family, but to other victims of similar crimes and for the general public, who have the right to know what had happened.263 The ECtHR highlighted the obstacles that exist, such as impunity, that deters States and state authorities from investigating to the fullest extent. gimes often do not have the political will, capacity or mechanisms to store and access records and archives. The archives are not only a practical tool for storing the documentation and evidence, but they also play an essential role in addressing issues of accountability and truth. The African Union Transitional Justice Framework specifically addresses the importance of archives within the context of the right to truth, as a vehicle to preserve the records of human rights violations and provide access to such information.264 Documenting human rights violations is essential to ensuring that the right to truth is upheld. However, African States emerging from conflicts and violent re- 263 ECtHR, El-Masri v. the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, supra note 215, para. 191. 264 African Union Transitional Justice Framework (“ATJF”), Archives and the right to truth. 39