Trial of the Major War Criminals before International Military Tribunal ...

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instances which was charged with the suppression of all even the
most insignificant activities aiming at the liquidation of this state
of affairs created in violation of international law.
The People's Court was created by enactment of 24.4.1934
(RGB1.1, p.341). By Article 111, para 1 of this enactment it was
charged with the trying of "High Treason" (Hochverrat) and
"Treason to the Country" (Landesverrat). By the Ordinance of
14.4.1939 (RGBl. I, p.752) (Annex 5) signed by the then Reich
Minister of Justice, Dr. GURTNER, and on behalf of the Reich
Minister of Interior by PFUNDNER, its jurisdiction was extended
to the "Protectorate".
Para 5 of the Ordinance of '21.2.1940 (RGB1. I, p.405) and of
29.1.43 (RGBl. I, p.76) respectively (Annex 6) which became valid
in the territory of the Republic as well, considerably increased the
scope of its jurisdiction; nevertheless it remained in practice a
court mainly concerned with "High Treason" and "Treason to the
Country" (Landesverrat).
The number of Czechoslovak citizens sentenced to death by this
Court during the occupation is so far only partly known. Investi-
gations carried out up to now brought to light 445 death sentences
alone, which were executed without exception.
More than one reason can be shown that the German Reich did
not acquire by her illegal occupation of the Czechoslovak Republic
the rights due to a belligerent power occupying enemy $rritory
during the war. In this report, however, we are going to deal
exclusively with that part of the activities of the German courts
in Czechoslovakia, the illegality of which is indisputable. We
restrict ourselves, therefore, to that part of their activities which
are beyond the rights connected with the occupatio bellica.
An examination of the sentences passed by the People's Court
shows again and again that even the most insignificant act which
certainly could not endanger the military security of the German
Reich or other
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"legitimate interests of the occupying power", was considered a
crime and punished with death. That taking up of mere trifles and
their inhuman judgment explains to a great extent the great
number of death sentences passed by the People's Court.
We do not think that, as said before, the German Reich could
claim in Czechoslovakia the rights which international law concedes