On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Klaus Barbie trial the International Nuremberg Principles Academy participated in an international conference entitled "Juger les crimes contre l’humanité : les leçons de l’histoire” organized in Grenoble, France, by the University Grenoble Alpes on 23 and 24 November 2017. Dr. Viviane Dittrich, Deputy Director of the Nuremberg Academy, was invited to give opening remarks in French.
In her remarks, Dr. Dittrich spoke about the significance of the Nuremberg Principles and the modernity of the principles and national prosecutions of international crimes today, noting the origins and direct importance for the Barbie trial of crimes against humanity as laid out in article 6c of the Statute of the International Military Tribunal. She noted legal developments and relevant jurisprudence of the contemporary international criminal tribunals, emphasizing the Nuremberg legacy and the significance of judging Klaus Barbie as first individual in a French domestic court for crimes against humanity.
The interdisciplinary conference focused on the trial of Klaus Barbie, with regard to the law, procedure and politics surrounding Barbie’s extradition as well as the trial itself in Lyon in 1987. The conference also shed light on the definition and contextual elements of crimes against humanity and looked into the law and practice of various courts and trials, including, inter alia, the International Criminal Court, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the Hissène Habré trial, with a focus on universal jurisdiction, international judicial cooperation, victim participation and the legal profession.
You find more information and the program here (external link).
