(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday, marking the 80th anniversary of the trial's commencement, that "Nazi crimes have no statute of limitations," and the judgments of the Nuremberg Tribunal continue to serve as a crucial safeguard against attempts to distort history.

The pursuit of accountability for senior leaders of the Third Reich began during World War II. In October 1942, the Soviet authorities officially demanded that Nazi officials be held responsible for their wartime atrocities.

This initiative gained support from Allied foreign ministers a year later, and by February 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the heads of the USSR, US, and Britain reached a final accord to establish the International Military Tribunal.

In a message to attendees of the ‘No Statute of Limitations. Nuremberg. 80 Years’ international forum, Putin praised the researchers for their “meticulous work” in declassifying archives, conducting field investigations, and collecting new evidence of Nazi crimes.

Putin emphasized that the tribunal’s principles, established 80 years ago, “remain relevant today.”

According to a statement on the Kremlin’s website, he noted that these principles “help us firmly resist attempts to falsify historical facts and offer guidance in responding to modern global challenges and threats.”

He further expressed hope that the forum would significantly contribute to examining the tribunal’s legacy and that the discussions would be productive and insightful.

In anticipation of the anniversary, the Russian Defense Ministry released a collection of archival documents detailing the tribunal’s proceedings and conclusions.

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