The defendants were charged with - "contemplated and carried out ... murdering, maiming and ill treating prisoners of
war (and) civilian internees ... forcing them to labor under inhumane conditions ... plundering public and private property, wantonly destroying cities, towns and villages beyond any justification of military necessity; (perpetrating)
mass murder, rape, pillage, brigandage, torture and other barbaric cruelties upon the helpless civilian population of the
over-run countries."

The prosecution team was made up of justices from eleven Allied nations: Australia, Canada, China, France, Great
Britain, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Soviet Union and the United States.

Class A Defendants:
4 Former premiers: Hiranuma, Hirota, Koiso, Tojo; 3 Former foreign ministers: Matsuoka, Shigemitsu, Togo; 4 Former
war ministers: Araki, Hata, Itagaki, Minami; 2 Former Navy ministers: Nagano and Shimada; 6 Former Generals: Doihara, Kimura, Matsui, Muto, Sato, Umezu; 2 Former Ambassadors: Oshima and Shiratori; 3 Former Eeconomic and Financial
leaders: Hoshino, Kaya, Suzuki Imperial Adviser: Kido; Radical theorist Okawa; Admiral Oka and Colonel Hashimoto.