a) Among those who endeavor to have unjust laws approved through which defenseless people are executed, there are some who reproach -- justly -- the Nazi torturers for having obeyed criminal laws.
Yesterday, that is at Nuremburg, the accused retreated behind unjust laws in the attempt to excuse their crimes. Today one asks the legislator to grant similar crimes the protection of the law.
b) In the very least, one should not invoke the sacrifice of these innocent people of yesterday to consider himself authorized to introduce, today, the principle of new legal discrimination among human beings. The sacrifice of the martyrs of old totalitarian regimes is a sacred thing. No one can retreat behind the memory of these deaths to pretend himself immunized against the present totalitarian trends.
c) One would wish that none of those who suffered from Nazi barbarism would reject, either in theory or in practice, the ever-present arguments which were invoked in their favor and against their torturers by those who gave testimony, namely that all men, without distinction, have the same dignity, and the same right to life and liberty.