20 Novembre 2005: 60 anni dopo la prima sessione pubblica del Tribunale di Norimberga

Dal 20 novembre 1945 al 1° ottobre 1946, nella sala della Corte d’Assise del palazzo di giustizia di Norimberga, si svolse il processo penale a carico di 24 alti gerarchi nazisti dinanzi al Tribunale Militare Internazionale. La competenza e il funzionamento del tribunale furono disciplinati dallo Statuto in allegato all’Accordo tra le quattro potenze vincitrici, Gran Bretagna, Francia, Stati Uniti ed Unione Sovietica concluso a Londra l’8 agosto 1945.

Vale la pena riprodurre il noto art.6 dello Statuto del Tribunale di Norimberga che contiene la prima catalogazione dei crimini internazionali dell’individuo:

“The Tribunal established by the Agreement referred to m Article 1 hereof for the trial and punishment of the major war criminals of the European Axis countries shall have the power to try and punish persons who, acting in the interests of the European Axis countries, whether as individuals or as members of organizations, committed any of the following crimes.

The following acts, or any of them, are crimes coming within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal for which there shall be individual responsibility:

(a) CRIMES AGAINST PEACE: namely, planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression, or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances, or participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the foregoing;

(b) WAR CRIMES: namely, violations of the laws or customs of war. Such violations shall include, but not be limited to, murder, ill-treatment or deportation to slave labor or for any other purpose of civilian population of or in occupied territory, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or persons on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity;

(c)CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: namely, murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population, before or during the war; or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds in execution of or in connection with any crime within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated.

Leaders, organizers, instigators and accomplices participating in the formulation or execution of a common plan or conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing crimes are responsible for all acts performed by any persons in execution of such plan.”

Negli 11 mesi tra il 20 novembre 1945 e l'1 ottobre 1946 furono ascoltati 236 testimoni, mentre agli atti furono messe 300 mila dichiarazioni giurate e 5330 documenti. Il processo nei confronti dei leaders nazisti catturati o ritenuti in quel momento in vita si concluse con 12 condanne a morte, 3 condanne all’ergastolo. Quattro imputati furono condannati a pene detentive tra i 10 e i 20 anni mentretre furono assolti.

In precedenza, il 20 dicembre 1945, il Consiglio di Controllo per la Germania emanò la legge n.10, per effetto della quale si svolsero tra il 1946 e 1948 altri importanti procedimenti penali dinanzi a tribunali militari statunitensi a carico di criminali nazisti di secondo piano.

https://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/

https://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/warcrimetrials/