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VI. AUTHENTICITY OF THE
EINSATZGRUPPEN REPORTS |
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a.
Introduction |
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The case-in-chief of the prosecution
consisted entirely of contemporaneous documents with the exception of 48
affidavits, 34 of which were affidavits sworn to by the defendants before the
indictment was filed. The principal proof offered by the prosecution in support
of counts one and two of the indictment were more than ninety Einsatzgruppen
reports. These reports were consolidated reports prepared by a special office
of the RSHA in Berlin from the reports of the individual Einsatzgruppen. These
top secret reports were distributed to a number of state and Party offices in
Germany. Between July 1941 and April 1942 approximately 195 consolidated
Einsatzgruppen reports were prepared in Berlin and distributed.
The
defense alleged that the consolidated reports contained many inaccuracies and
even willful exaggeration concerning the number of exterminated people. The
defense also claimed that the author of the reports had no first-hand knowledge
of the observations contained therein, that his identity was unknown, and
therefore the documents constituted inadmissible hearsay evidence.
Selections from the evidence of the prosecution concerning the
authenticity of the reports in describing the form in which they were compiled
are set forth in pp. 97 to 102. Objections of the defense against the
introduction of Einsatzgruppen reports as documentary evidence and extracts
from the closing brief on behalf of the defendant Blobel, the closing statement
on behalf of defendant Naumann, and from the testimony of the defendant Nosske
follow in pp. 102 to 117. |
b.
Evidence |
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Prosecution
Documents |
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Doc. No. |
Pros. Ex. No |
Description of Document |
Page |
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NO-2716 |
4 |
Affidavit of Heinz Hermann Schubert, 4 February 1947. |
97 |
NO-4327 |
6 |
Affidavit of Kurt Lindow, 21 July 1947. |
99 |
NO-4134 |
7 |
Extracts, 21 and 27 October 1941, from Operational Situation Re port
U.S.S.R. No. 126. |
100 |
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Testimony |
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Extracts from the testimony of defendant Nosske |
113 |
96 |