The tragedy  which  the millions of   Jewish were  deliberately  killed by Nazis is named as the Holocaust and is generally accepted as recognized first genocide occurrence by  the  international  law and international organs and communities. The  definition  and  acceptance of Genocide concept as an odious crime under international law  came to  existence in Nuremberg Trials. The term of Genocide was one of the legal bases of  Nuremberg Trials.

After  the end of   World   War II, Nuremberg   Trials   were established for  the prosecution of   prominent members of economic, political, military leadership of Nazi Germany. The Nuremberg Tribunals accused the defendants of committing ‘deliberately   and   systematic’   genocide. In  other  words, International  Military Tribunal charged the defendants with extermination of racial and national groups, against  the  civilian  populations of certain occupied territories in order to destroy particular races and national, religious, racial groups.[1] Nuremberg Trials’ greatest feature  is  Nuremberg  Principles. If  we  shortly explain, Nuremberg   Principles defines   what   constitutes   war   crimes  and  crimes   against   humanity. In  the following time, Nuremberg principle would have great effect on the  development of  international  criminal law. Besides, we  may say that “Genocide  Convention”, “Universal  Declaration of  Human  Rights  and  Convention on  Abolition  of   the Statute  of  Limitations on   War Crimes and  Crimes  against  Humanity” charters would be based on especially Nuremberg Principles Article 6 (c) and (d).

The  Nuremberg  Tribunal   Charter was drafted in 1945 with the establishment of the   Nuremberg tribunals.  Article 6 (c)  and (d) of that charter defines war crimes and crimes  against humanity:

(c) War crimes:  Namely,  violations  of   the  laws  and  customs  of  war. Such violations    shall    include,   but    not  to  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. [2]

(d) 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. 

Convention   on the   Prevention   and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by   the United   Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 and on 1951  January   12   it  came to   force. It   includes an   internationally recognized definition   of   Genocide  which was   added to national namely domestic criminal legislation   of   many of   countries, and was also adopted by the Rome Statue of International Criminal Court. The Convention on the   Prevention and Punishment of   the Crime   of   Genocide is an international treaty embraced   by the realm of public  international  law, international humanitarian law and international  human rights law.[3]

Though  the UN Charter did not explicitly provide for an enforcement process for the  prohibition of genocide but on 11 December 1946 the UN General Assembly declared   genocide   to   be punishable   under international  law.[4]United  Nation Convention   on   Genocide, unanimously   approved   by   the General Assembly December, 1948.[5] “Having     considered      declaration   made by   the   General Assembly of the United Nations in its Resolution 96 (I), dated 11 December 1946 that genocide  is a crime under   international law, contrary to spirit or aims of the United   Nations   and   condemned   by   the  civilized world. Recognizing that all periods of   history   genocide  has inflicted great losses   on humanity; and being convinced     that, in order   to liberate mankind    from such as   odious  scourge, international cooperation is required.”[6]

Article I states;
The   contradicting   parties   confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish. [7]
In  the United   Nations’ Convention   on   the Prevention   and Punishment of the Crime of  Genocide Article II defines the following as genocide:
Any   of   the  following acts   committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such:
a) Killing members of the group;
b) Causing seriously bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its  physical destruction in whole or in part;
d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.[8]

According to Article III; the following acts shall be punishable

 a)     Genocide;
 b)     Conspiracy to commit genocide;
 c)      Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;
 d)     Attempt to commit genocide;
 e)     Complicity in genocide

Article IV:  Persons  committing  genocide  or  any  of  other  acts  enumerated  in Article III  shall  be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or  private individuals.

Article V: The   contracting   parties   undertake to enact, in accordance with their respective  constitutions, the  necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of   the   present   convention, and  in  particular  to provide effective penalties for person guilty of genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article III.

Article VI:  Person charged  with genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article  III shall  be tried  by  a  component  tribunal of   the State in the territory of which    the act was  committed or  by such  international  penal  tribunal  as  may have   jurisdiction   with   respect  to   those contracting   parties which shall have accepted its jurisdiction.[9]

 “Genocide   may   be   prosecuted   by   international   or   national   courts.  The preference   of   international   law for   the latter   can   be seen in the decision of drafters of the Convention to   establish an obligation to repress genocide without at same time creating an international jurisdiction, although such a possibility was certainly contemplated and, indeed, expected at some time in the future. It is also evident in the principle of  ‘complementarities’ which   define the operations of the future International Criminal Court. Pursuant to this  principle, genocide offenders are preferably to be tried before domestic or national courts.”[10]

UN  Security  Council  set up ad hoc Tribunals pursuant to its power to decide on measure  necessary   to  maintain  or restore  international peace and security: in 1993 the  International  Criminal  Tribunal  for the former Yugoslavia, and in 1994 International   Criminal   Tribunal   for   Rwanda. The   former was empowered to exercise jurisdiction over grave breaches of the Geneva Convention, violations of the laws, and customs of war,   genocide  and  crimes against humanity allegedly  perpetrated in the former Yugoslavia  since 1 January 1991. The  latter was called upon   to   adjudicate   genocide, crimes against  humanity, violations of Article 3 common   to   Geneva   Conventions    and   of  the Second   Additional Protocol, allegedly    perpetrated   in Rwanda    between 1    January   and  31 December 1994.[11]  Occurred tragic   events    were   accepted   as   genocide.  International Criminal   Tribunal   for Rwanda has convicted 25 persons who committed acts of genocide.In Bosnia, ethnic conflicts between Muslim Bosnian and Bosnian Serbs and Srebrenica massacre (accepted as   genocide) was discussed inInternational Criminal Tribunal for the   former Yugoslavia and in International Court of Justice. Although the Court found acts of genocide at Srebrenica,declared thatevidences can not afford accuse Serbia State organs of committing genocide systematically and   deliberately. On  the other hand, the court  added that the leaders of Serbia failed to comply with accepted obligations to stop killing and to punish.  Individual criminal responsibility of perpetrators was also emphasized. The some of leaders of Bosnian-Serb were charged with acts of genocide.

                                                   REFERENCE PAGE

Campbell. K. J, Genocide and the Global Village, 1st ed., New York, Palgrave, 2001.

Cassese. A, International Criminal Law, 1st ed., United States, Oxford University Press, 2003

Cigar N, Genocide In Bosnia, 1st ed., United States, Texas A&M University Press, 1995.

International Organizations, United Nations Convention on Genocide Approved by the General Assembly on December 3, 1948., Vol.3, No.1, University of Wisconsin Press, 1949.

Kuhn. A. K, The American Journal of International Law, Genocide Convention and State Rights, Vol.43, No.3, American Society of International Law, 1949.

Schabas. W. A, Genocide in International Law, 2nd ed., United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2002.

[1] Schabas. W. A, Genocide in International Law, 2nd ed., United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2002.

[2] Cassese. A, International Criminal Law, 1st ed., United States, Oxford University Press, 2003.

[3] Schabas. W. A, Genocide in International Law, 2nd ed., United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2002.

[4] Campbell. K. J, Genocide and the Global Village, 1st ed., New York, Palgrave, 2001.

[5] Kuhn. A. K, The American Journal of International Law, Genocide Convention and State Rights, Vol.43, No.3, American Society of International Law, 1949.

[6] International Organizations, United Nations Convention on Genocide Approved by the General Assembly on December 3, 1948., Vol.3, No.1, University of Wisconsin Press, 1949.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Cigar N, Genocide In Bosnia, 1st ed., United States, Texas A&M University Press, 1995.

[9] International Organizations, United Nations Convention on Genocide Approved by the General Assembly on December 3, 1948., Vol.3, No.1, University of Wisconsin Press, 1949

[10] Schabas. W. A, Genocide in International Law, 2nd ed., United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2002.

[11] Cassese. A, International Criminal Law, 1st ed., United States, Oxford University Press, 2003.

Şevket Cihan Durukan

Doğu Akdeniz Üniversitesi

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