Four prosecutors from the Nuremberg trials, which in the wake of the defeat of Nazi Germany sought to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes, will be the honorees at the DePaul University International Human Rights Law Institute's (IHRLI) 10th anniversary dinner. It marks the first time the Nuremberg prosecutors have been honored collectively in Chicago. There also will be a special screening of "Eyewitness: The Legacy of Death Camp Art," an Academy Award-nominated documentary short film.

     The event will be held April 26 in the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 160 E. Pearson St. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m.

     Each of the honorees was responsible for prosecuting major Nazi war criminals before the International Military Tribunal (IMT) sitting at Nuremberg, Germany in the 1940s. They include: Whitney Harris, counsel at the trial of the major German war criminals; Benjamin Ferencz, chief prosecutor in the trial, known as the "Einsatzgruppen Case," against 22 Schutzstaffel, or protection squad leaders; Henry King, a prosecutor for the office of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for War Crimes, who worked on the closing phases of the case against the German General Staff and High Command; and Bernard Meltzer, an assistant prosecutor who was responsible for prosecuting economic crimes.

     "By prosecuting those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity and peace, these men have made enormous contributions to human rights law the world over," said M. Cherif Bassiouni, president of the IHRLI and a law professor at DePaul. "Their work at the IMT established a powerful precedent that ultimately led to the establishment in 1998 of the International Criminal Court by the United Nations."

     Bassiouni was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize last year in part for his work toward establishing the International Criminal Court, which would be a standing court with jurisdiction over the most serious international crimes. Ninety-five states have signed the convention to create the court, but the measure must go through the national parliamentary process for ratification. The treaty will take effect after 60 states have ratified it, which is expected by the end of 2001.

     The 38-minute documentary short, "Eyewitness" will round out the evening. Narrated by Bill Kurtis, the film explores the sketches and paintings secretly created by people who lived and died in Nazi death camps.

     The dinner will be held one week before Yom HaShoah, or the Day of Remembrance. Yom HaShoah is a solemn day of remembrance for the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust. The observance is designed to keep the memory of the Holocaust fresh so that such devastation is prevented from ever happening again.

     Founded in 1990 by the DePaul College of Law , the IHRLI is an umbrella organization for several College of Law initiatives dedicated to safeguarding fundamental human rights through the rule of law.

     The cost of the dinner is $150 per person.

Editor's note: The prosecutors will be available for interviews prior to and during the day of the dinner on a limited basis. To schedule an interview, or to arrange to cover the dinner, call Valerie Phillips at 312/362-5039.