Nürnbergréttarhöldin

Nürnbergréttarhöldin, also known as the Nuremberg Trials, were a series of military tribunals held by the Allied forces after World War II. The most famous of these trials, the International Military Tribunal (IMT), was convened in Nuremberg, Germany, from November 1945 to October 1946. The primary purpose was to bring to justice the major war criminals of Nazi Germany.

Twenty-four prominent Nazi leaders were indicted by the IMT. These included figures like Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, and Joachim von Ribbentrop. The charges brought against them were unprecedented, encompassing conspiracy to wage aggressive war, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The trials aimed to establish individual accountability for the atrocities committed during the war, including the Holocaust.

The proceedings involved extensive evidence presentation, including captured Nazi documents, film footage, and witness testimony. The defendants were represented by legal counsel, and a defense was permitted. The verdicts delivered by the tribunal resulted in death sentences for twelve of the defendants, imprisonment for seven, and acquittal for three.

Following the IMT, a series of subsequent trials, known as the "Nuremberg follow-up proceedings," were conducted by U.S. military courts. These trials prosecuted a wider range of individuals, including doctors, lawyers, industrialists, and SS officers, for their roles in war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Nuremberg Trials had a profound impact on international law, establishing precedents for prosecuting individuals for war crimes and contributing to the development of international criminal justice.