MINUTES OF THE OPENING SESSION
OF THE TRIBUNAL, AT BERLIN, 18 OCTOBER 1945
GENERAL NIKITCHENKO, President *
Present: All of the Members of the Tribunal and
their Alternates.
The International Military Tribunal held its first public session
in Berlin, as required by Article 22 of the Charter, in the Grand
Conference Room of the Allied Control Authority Building at 10:30 a.
m.
The President, General Nikitchenko, said:
"In pursuance of the Agreement by the Government of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Provisional Government of
the French Republic, the Government of the United States of America,
and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland for the prosecution and punishment of the major war
criminals of the European Axis dated at London, 8 August 1945, and of
Article 22 of the Charter annexed thereto constituting this
International Military Tribunal, this meeting is held at Berlin for
the reception of the Indictment under the Agreement and
Charter."
This statement was translated orally in French, English, and
German.
The Members of the Tribunal and their Alternates then made the
following declaration, each in his own language:
"I solemnly declare that I will
exercise all my powers and duties as a Member of the International
Military Tribunal honorably, impartially, and conscientiously."
The President then declared the session opened.
The Chief British Prosecutor, Mr. Shawcross, introduced in
succession the Soviet Chief Prosecutor, General Rudenko; the French
Deputy Chief Prosecutor, M. Dubost; and a representative of the
American Prosecutor, Mr. Shea. Each on being introduced made a brief
statement, which was translated orally into the other languages, and
lodged a copy of the Indictment, in his own language, with the
President of the Tribunal.
The President said:
"An Indictment has now been lodged with the Tribunal by the
Committee of the Chief Prosecutors setting out the charges made
against the following defendants:
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, Rudolf Hess,
Joachim von Ribbentrop, Robert Ley, Wilhelm Keitel, Ernst
Kaltenbrunner, Alfred Rosenberg, Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Julius
Streicher, Walter
* General Nikitchenko WAC selected as President
for the session at Berlin, and Lord Justice Lawrence was elected
President of the Tribunal for the Trial in Nuremberg in accordance
with Article 4 (b) of the Charter.