Will he who wronged someone or tarnished his reputation be punished, even if he repents to Allah, from the perspective of "as you judge, so you will be judged," if he is unable to apologize to that person?

The Sacred Law forbids belittling people, backbiting about them, and seeking out their faults. It promises the one who repents from a sin safety from punishment, for "the one who repents from a sin is like one who has no sin." The saying "as you judge, so shall you be judged" has a weak chain of transmission, as does the hadith "Whoever shames his brother for a sin will not die until he commits it himself." Repentance for offenses against the rights of people necessitates seeking their forgiveness, or supplicating for them, or praising them in a way that alleviates their harm.