Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid Universiteit Gent Academiejaar 2013-2014 BEFEHL IST BEFEHL THE ‘SUPERIOR ORDERS’ DEFENCE Masterproef van de opleiding: ‘Master in de rechten’ Ingediend door Evy Bauwens (00605549) Promotor: Professor A.Cliquet Commissaris: C. Vandewoude 2 Befehl ist Befehl, the ‘superior orders’ defence TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 2 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Research Question ....................................................................................................................... 7 3. History and debate .................................................................................................................... 11 1. 1. The First World War .................................................................................................................. 12 1.1.1. General Overview ................................................................................................................ 12 1.1.2. The First International Tribunal ........................................................................................... 17 1.1.3. The Leipzich Trials ............................................................................................................... 18 Robert Neumann’s case ........................................................................................................................... 19 Dover Castle case ..................................................................................................................................... 19 The Llandovery castle case ....................................................................................................................... 20 Stenger and Crusius case .......................................................................................................................... 21 1.1.4. the Fryatt trial ...................................................................................................................... 21 1.1.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 22 1.2.The Second World War ................................................................................................................ 24 1.2.1. General Overview ................................................................................................................ 24 1.2.2. The Nuremberg Trials .......................................................................................................... 28 1.2.3. The Tokyo Tribunal .............................................................................................................. 32 1.2.4. Allied Tribunals after the Second World War ...................................................................... 33 Dachau trials ............................................................................................................................................. 33 Hauptsturmführer Oscar Hans case ......................................................................................................... 36 Yoshino case-Singapore cases. ................................................................................................................. 37 The Einsatzgruppen case .......................................................................................................................... 38 1.2.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 40 1.3. The Cold War .............................................................................................................................. 41 1.3.1. General Overview ................................................................................................................ 41 1.3.2. A New World Order ............................................................................................................. 42 1.3.3.The Adorno and Asch experiments ...................................................................................... 43 1.3.4. The Korean War ................................................................................................................... 45 1.3.5. Eichmann and the Kapo trials .............................................................................................. 50 2 3 Befehl ist Befehl, the ‘superior orders’ defence 1.3.6. The wave, Zimbardo and Milgram experiments. ................................................................. 55 1.3.7. The Vietnam War ................................................................................................................ 57 The Calley Case ......................................................................................................................................... 60 1.4. Nazi Trials in the last decades: Demjanjuk, BarBie, Finta ........................................................... 65 Klaus Barbie .............................................................................................................................................. 65 Demjanjuk ................................................................................................................................................ 66 R.v. Finta, 1994 ......................................................................................................................................... 67 1.5. International Criminal TriBunal For the Former Yugoslavia ......................................................... 69 1.5.1. General Overview ................................................................................................................ 69 1.5.2. A Mitigation of Punishment ................................................................................................ 71 The Keraterm Camp case ......................................................................................................................... 72 Ivika Rajić .................................................................................................................................................. 73 Darko Mrđa, Vlašić Mountain case .......................................................................................................... 73 1.5.3. Link with duress ................................................................................................................... 74 1.5.4. Influence from psychological experiments? ........................................................................ 75 1.6. International Criminal TriBunal For Rwanda ............................................................................... 78 1.6.1. General Overview ................................................................................................................ 78 1.6.2. Link with Command Responsibility ..................................................................................... 82 1.6.3. Influence from psychological experiments? ........................................................................ 83 1.6.4. A Mitigation of Punishment ................................................................................................ 83 Bagosora, Kabilgi, Ntabakuze en Nsengiyumva case ................................................................................ 84 2. Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 87 2.1. Link with Duress and SuPerior Orders ......................................................................................... 87 Link with Duress ....................................................................................................................................... 87 Link with Command Responsibility .......................................................................................................... 89 2.2. Interdisciplinary InFluence .......................................................................................................... 91 2.2.1. Influence from psychological and sociological research ..................................................... 91 2.2.2. Influence from history ......................................................................................................... 94 2.3. SuPerior Orders today ................................................................................................................ 96 2.3.1. The ICC – debate ................................................................................................................. 96 2.3.2. The person was under a legal obligation ............................................................................. 98 2.3.3. The person did not know that the order was unlawful ..................................................... 105 Ought to know? ...................................................................................................................................... 105 3 4 Befehl ist Befehl, the ‘superior orders’ defence The role of media as prevention of war crimes ...................................................................................... 107 2.3.4.The order was not Manifestly unlawful ............................................................................. 109 2.3.5. A breach