Emphasis was laid here today upon the fact that anti-Jewish persecutions, or any crime committed in Axis countries against Jews as such, on racial grounds before and during the war, will come within the jurisdiction of the International Military Tribunal, the constitution of which was made public today.
This will be the case even if the acts against the Jews were not in violation of the domestic laws of the countries where perpetrated, the constitution provides. Leaders, organizers, instigators and accomplices who took part in the planning or execution of anti-Jewish persecutions and the deportation and extermination of Jews are held responsible for all acts performed by any person in execution of such plan.
The text of the charter of the International Military Tribunal, says that, in addition to crimes against peace, the following acts, or any of them, are crimes coming within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal for which there shall be individual responsibility:
“War crimes. Namely, violations of the laws of 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 territery, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or persons on the seas, killing of hestages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages or devastation not justified by military necessity.
“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.”
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