Poland moves to extradite Ukrainian SS veteran who was applauded in Canada

Poland’s Schooling Minister Przemysław Czarnek mentioned Tuesday he has “taken steps” towards extraditing Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who was honored by Canadian parliamentarians final week.

Throughout Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s go to to Canada final Friday, Home Speaker Anthony Rota launched Hunka as a Canadian-Ukrainian struggle hero, prompting a standing ovation from parliamentarians.

However the tribute triggered a wave of criticism from Jewish organizations, advocacy teams and leaders internationally, as a result of Hunka fought with the First Ukrainian Division — also referred to as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, which served beneath command of the Nazis in Adolf Hitler’s World Conflict II combat in opposition to Russia’s Purple Military.

“In view of the scandalous occasions within the Canadian Parliament, which concerned honoring, within the presence of President Zelenskyy, a member of the prison Nazi SS Galizien formation, I’ve taken steps in the direction of the doable extradition of this man to Poland,” Czarnek mentioned on X, previously Twitter.

In a letter to Poland’s Institute of Nationwide Remembrance, a physique that researches and investigates previous crimes in opposition to the Polish nation, Czarnek requested it to “urgently look at” whether or not Hunka is needed for crimes in opposition to Polish individuals of Jewish origin, including that “indicators of such crimes are grounds to use to Canada for his extradition.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed media the state of affairs was “extraordinarily upsetting” and “deeply embarrassing” for Canada. Rota has since apologized and mentioned he took “full accountability” for the incident, however has up to now refused to step down from his function.

“What occurred on Friday is totally unacceptable,” Canada’s Overseas Minister Mélanie Joly added Tuesday. “It was a humiliation to the Home and to Canadians, and I feel the Speaker ought to hearken to members of the Home and step down.”

Canada’s Lawyer Basic Arif Virani mentioned he has not been contacted by the Polish authorities over the extradition request but and that “commenting on early levels of an extradition course of is just not acceptable.”

“What I might say to you is that an extradition course of is a delicate matter that in the end comes throughout my desk for a ultimate choice,” Virani added. “Apropos of that, I can’t be commenting on an extradition matter till it really seems in entrance of my desk as a result of that will jeopardize the investigation.”