Why do de facto entities continue to generate human rights protection gaps despite decades of international engagement? Focusing on Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, eastern Ukraine, former Nagorno-Karabakh, and Northern Cyprus, this book examines the legal and institutional challenges that leave millions of people with limited access to justice and effective remedies. It explores how international and regional courts, quasi-judicial mechanisms, and international organizations address these challenges in practice. Bridging legal theory and field realities, the book moves beyond diagnosis, challenges common assumptions about recognition and engagement, and offers concrete, innovative solutions for strengthening human rights protection, accountability, and access to justice in de facto entities.