COL. POKROVSKY: By the Russian Army.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
COL. POKROVSKY: Three of Hitler’s high-ranking officers have confirmed that already at the beginning of the war the question of exterminating Soviet prisoners of war was settled during a special conference. They—the witnesses—differ slightly in detail, but the fact itself has been quite definitely established. The sentence which I quoted from the directive of Field Marshal Reichenau also confirms that even the supply of food to the soldiers of the Red Army taken prisoner by the Germans was considered as “unnecessary humanity.”
It is useful perhaps to submit to you Document Number 884-PS (Exhibit USSR-351). It bears the signature of Warlimont and a postscript by the Defendant Jodl. The document was drawn up at the Führer’s headquarters on 12 May 1941. It said, “OKH had submitted the draft of a directive dealing with the treatment of responsible political workers and similar persons.” You have this quotation on Page 35 in the document book, as well as the two following excerpts which I am going to quote.
The draft foresaw the “removal” of persons of this category. The decision whether a prisoner of war falls into the group “to be removed” is up to the officer. The document states; “By an officer with authority to impose punishment for breach of discipline.” Thus, any junior officer was endowed with powers of life and death over any captured Red Army soldier, regardless of his rank or service. Paragraph 3 of this document states:
“Political commissars of the army are not recognized as prisoners of war and are to be liquidated, at the latest, in the transient prisoner-of-war camps. No evacuation to the rear areas.”
The Defendant Jodl added the, for him, characteristic postscript—you will find it on Page 37 of the document book:
“We must reckon with possible reprisals against German airmen. It would, therefore, be better to consider all these measures in the nature of reprisals.”
General Österreich’s testimony concerning the existence of the order to brand Soviet prisoners of war is fully confirmed. I submit to the Tribunal, as Exhibit Number USSR-15 (Document Number USSR-15), Order Number 14-802/42, given by the Chief of Gendarmerie of the Vice Governor in the Region of Styria. It is stated in the order that it is a question of disclosing the order of the Chief of Police. The first paragraph of the order of the chief of the regular police states—the paragraph quoted is on Page 38 of the document book:
“1. Soviet prisoners of war are to be branded with a special and lasting mark.