THE NUREMBERG DECLARATION

[Flabbergasted]

THE NUREMBERG DECLARATION

The following is the full text of the Nuremberg Declaration delivered to the head of the Documentation Center for the Crimes of the Nazi Party, the group responsible for maintaining Room 600 in the Nuremberg Courthouse where Nazi leaders were tried and convicted of war crimes in 1945 and 1946. The declaration calls on the United States to reverse the decision of the Bush administration and re-sign and ratify the International Criminal Court treaty (Rome statute).

NUREMBERG DECLARATION

on International Criminal Court

The Nuremberg War Trials marked the birth date of a new age in international law -- the creation of an International Tribunal to try war criminals. Mr. Robert Jackson, the Allied Forces' Chief Prosecutor, stated on various occasions in 1945 that, "the U.S. itself will be bound in the future by the rules they are imposing on the German war criminals in Nuremberg today.

Fifty seven years elapsed between the Nuremberg War Trials and the commissioning of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on July 1, 2002. However, the United States, under the presidency of George W. Bush, did not participate in the foundation of the ICC. Instead, the Bush administration threatened the use of military forces in the event that an American national was ever tried before the ICC.

The continued refusal of the United States government to become a party to the ICC is an ongoing violation of the promises made at Nuremberg in 1945. The conduct exhibited by the United States over 61 years constitutes a breach of good faith proclaimed in 1945. A breach of faith that contravenes the moral basis for the Nuremberg War Trials of 1945 and is a lasting obstacle to the efforts of all peaceful nations that believe in the rule of law. Americans are urged to encourage their government to fulfill the promises made by Robert Jackson at Nuremberg in 1945 and become a party to the ICC as soon as practicable.

Declared on the Documentation Center former Nazi Party parade grounds, Nuremberg, Germany, Dec. 7, 2006.

There were six original signers of the declaration and it may be available for signatures by visitors to the Nuremberg Courthouse. We are also soliciting signatures for the Nuremberg Declaration by professionals from various sectors, including current and/or past affiliations. The following sectors are included:

1. Current and former members of legislatures -- national, state/provincial/territorial, local/municipal.

2. Current and former executive government officials -- national, state/provincial, local/municipal, tribal and territorial. (e.g., governors, mayors, county executives).

3. Current and former jurists -- national, state/provincial/territorial, local/municipal.

4. Members of the Fourth Estate, the press/media, publishers, editors, journalists.

5. Officials and faculty of educational institutions.

6. Legal professionals.

7. Members of the clergy/lay leadership.

8. Current and former members of the diplomatic corps.

9. Current and former non-governmental organization (NGO) officials

10. Current and former members of the military.

11. Current and former trade union officials.

12. Current and former business community officials.

13. Current and former intelligence agency and law enforcement officers.

14. Members of the film, art, literature, sports, and entertainment communities.

15. Political party officials.

Signatures can be sent to: [email protected]

[email protected]

The current plans are to collect signatures from Nuremberg and from e-mail and present them, along with the Nuremberg Declaration, to the relevant congressional committees with a view to persuade them to initiate the proper legislation to ensure that the United States becomes a full party to the International Criminal Court and agree to hand over for prosecution those American officials who violated the Paris Peace Pact of 1928, the UN Charter, and the Geneva Conventions. The ICC treaty has been ratified by 104 nations, including Afghanistan, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, South Africa, United Kingdom, and Venezuela. Iraq's Transitional National Government was set to ratify the treaty but reversed course after pressure was exerted by the United States. The following nations are in the process of ratifying the ICC treaty: Chile, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Yemen. Israel "de-signed" the ICC treaty at the same time the Bush administration withdrew its signature.

[livvy]

1. That's because they're afraid of this.

[azurnoir]

2. The BFEE withdrew their signature

expressly because they knew they could be brought up on charges by the ICC. BTW would that have not been a more proper place for Saddam's trial?

[Igel]

4. No, because the ICC has nothing to say about or do with

events that occurred before it was brought into existence. That leaves a 10-month or so window of opportunity to find some crime that Saddam Hussein committed--July 1 '02 to 4/03, with all the really bad ones occurring before 7/1/02.

Perhaps opening the jails and releasing all the prisoners would count?

[azurnoir]

5. Slobodan Milosevic was tried by the ICC

his crimes took place prior to 2002 or so I thought. I had been under the impression that the true reason Saddam's trial took place in Iraq was that the US and the BFEE in particular would be implicated in most of Saddam's worst crimes.

[Igel]

6. He wasn't.

Milosevic was tried by the International Criminal Tribunal:

http://www.un.org/icty/

It was set up specifically for Yugoslavia.

[jeff30997]

3. Ahh!Those were the days!