Title: Polish Government Pursues Extradition of 98-Year-Old Ukrainian Veteran Honored in Canadian Parliament
Subtitle: Backlash Erupts as Accused Nazi Collaborator Applauded During Ukrainian President’s Address
Date: [current date]
A 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran accused of fighting in a Nazi unit during World War II is facing potential extradition from Canada to Poland, following a controversial incident in the Canadian Parliament. The Polish government minister expressed his intention to seek Yaroslav Hunka’s extradition after he received applause during a parliamentary session featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons, Anthony Rota, faced severe backlash for inviting Hunka to the parliamentary session. Rota referred to Hunka as “a Ukrainian hero” and “a Canadian hero,” sparking a standing ovation from the crowd. However, Jewish groups later revealed that Hunka had been a part of a Nazi military unit. Rota subsequently apologized and tendered his resignation, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledging the incident as “deeply embarrassing.”
On Tuesday, Polish Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek announced his intention to seek Hunka’s possible extradition to Poland in light of the “scandalous events” in the Canadian Parliament. Czarnek stated that he has initiated preliminary steps to establish whether Hunka is accountable for crimes committed in Poland during World War II.
Witold Dzielski, Poland’s ambassador to Canada, clarified that the preliminary bid intends to determine the viability of pursuing extradition by evaluating Hunka’s alleged crimes committed in Poland. Though the extradition process has not yet commenced, the Polish Education Minister has submitted a request to Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, a government body responsible for investigating Polish history and WWII crimes.
According to Dzielski, the request submitted by Czarnek will be carefully examined by the institute. However, it is still uncertain whether further steps will follow. Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, when questioned by reporters, indicated that he had not received any official request or been contacted by the Polish government regarding the prospect of extradition.
The absence of an extradition treaty between Canada and Poland could potentially complicate the request. Additionally, Hunka’s advanced age may raise further legal challenges, as highlighted by the Canadian public broadcaster CBC.
Jewish groups allege that Hunka was a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, a unit of the Waffen-SS consisting of ethnic Ukrainians. The Waffen-SS was a Nazi paramilitary force established by Heinrich Himmler, a key orchestrator of the Holocaust, as reported by The Washington Post.
Anthony Rota, the Canadian House Speaker who formally steps down on Wednesday, clarified that it was solely his decision to invite Hunka to the address by President Zelensky. Zelensky, who is Jewish and has relatives who perished in the Holocaust, was unaware of the invitation, along with Rota’s fellow lawmakers and the Ukrainian delegation.
This incident has reignited discussions surrounding Ukraine’s collaboration with the Nazis during World War II in their struggle against the Soviet Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin has often cited the “denazification” of Ukraine as a pretext for the Kremlin’s ongoing conflict in the region. The US State Department identifies this claim as one of the Russian propaganda apparatus’s “most common disinformation narratives.”
As the situation unfolds, the Polish government’s request for extradition is anticipated to prompt further debates and legal considerations between Canada and Poland.
Contributors: Sammy Westfall and Amanda Coletta