H6: War Criminals

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This is a serious subject that requires serious
preparation if it is to be done well. Please
invest the time required to make this an
effective programme.

Mock trial

Hand out parts (judge, prosecutors, defence lawyer. witnesses etc..) to a few friends and act out a mock trial. You could use the material about Semyon Serafimovich, or you could find out about another case for yourself. Points to remember are:

- Go through the specific facts of the case so that the audience is fully aware of what the charges are. The more knowledge you have of how the Nazis worked, the clearer your trial will be.

- The suspected Nazi war criminal should act in a typically unrepentant manner as described by Ryan.

- Bring up the more general moral issues associated with these kinds of cases such as hounding old men and vengeance over justice. Both the prosecution and the defence should be fully aware of both sides of these arguments so that they can give a convincing case.

- Make the audience act as jury. They may ask points of information, but nothing more.

Parliament in Action

During 1990, the War Crimes bill was discussed and debated in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. A number of MPs, from all political parities, banded together to defend the bill. They were called the 'All-Party Parliamentary War Crimes group'. You could re-enact their defence. In this situation you should concentrate on the general arguments for and against the bill.

Major issue to include in support are:

- Other countries have made this law.

- It would be a stain on British justice if this was passed over.

- Even if no war criminals are convicted, the bill could be used for other war crimes cases.

Major issues to include in opposition are:

- Can witnesses be reliable after a lapse of 50 years?

- What have crimes performed on alien soil, by people weren't British then, have to do with Her majesty's Government?

- Would the level of public interest for such a case would make a fair trial hard to achieve?

Letting the enemy in

Immediately after World war II, Europe was in disarray. Literally millions of people were lost, homeless and hungry. DP camps were set up to try to deal with the situation but many war criminals took the opportunity of disguising their past life and starting a new one. Explain this part of history in as clear way as possible. Many people are ignorant of how war criminals managed to make their escape.

War Crimes Today

Bosnia and Rwanda are examples of places where war crimes have recently being carried out. The history and context of the conflicts in these two countries is very complex, but there is no doubt that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been done there. International war crimes legislation allows for the guilty to be charged, but the reality is that few have been. Political pressures are currently overriding extensive prosecution of war criminals from these countries even though there are established records of thousands of cases of unnecessary brutality. If you know about the situations in Bosnia and Rwanda then you can discuss these issues, but don't attempt to unless you have done your research.

Justice Justice

You could have a discussion about the value of justice in maintaining a healthy society. In the Torah there is the quote:

"Justice, justice you should pursue..." (Deuteronomy 16:20)

The duplication of the word 'justice' brings out with the greatest possible emphasis the supreme duty of even-handed justice to all. One Chassidic sage explained this insistence on justice and only justice to imply: Do not use unjust methods to secure the victory of justice. This is a key issue in the attempts to put war criminals on trial. This Jewish angle is a neat way to finish off your programme.

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