Sept 27, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Poland’s
Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek said Tuesday he has “taken steps” toward
extraditing Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who was
honored by Canadian parliamentarians last week.
During
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada last Friday, House
Speaker Anthony Rota introduced Hunka as a Canadian-Ukrainian war hero,
prompting a standing ovation from parliamentarians.
But the
tribute triggered a wave of criticism from Jewish organizations, advocacy
groups and leaders across the world, because Hunka fought with the First Ukrainian
Division — also known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, which served under
command of the Nazis in Adolf Hitler’s World War II fight against Russia’s Red
Army.
“In view of
the scandalous events in the Canadian Parliament, which involved honoring, in
the presence of President Zelenskyy, a member of the criminal Nazi SS Galizien
formation, I have taken steps towards the possible extradition of this man to
Poland,” Czarnek said on X, formerly Twitter.
In a letter
to Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, a body that researches and
investigates past crimes against the Polish nation, Czarnek asked it to
“urgently examine” whether Hunka is wanted for crimes against Polish people of
Jewish origin, adding that “signs of such crimes are grounds to apply to Canada
for his extradition.”
Canadian
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told media the situation was “extremely
upsetting” and “deeply embarrassing” for Canada. Rota has since apologized and
said he took “full responsibility” for the incident, but has so far refused to
step down from his role.
“What
happened on Friday is completely unacceptable,” Canada’s Foreign Minister
Mélanie Joly added Tuesday. “It was an embarrassment to the House and to
Canadians, and I think the Speaker should listen to members of the House and
step down.”
Canada’s
Attorney General Arif Virani said he has not been contacted by the Polish
government over the extradition request yet and that “commenting on early
stages of an extradition process is not appropriate.”
“What I
would say to you is that an extradition process is a sensitive matter that
ultimately comes across my desk for a final decision,” Virani added. “Apropos
of that, I can’t be commenting on an extradition matter until it actually
appears in front of my desk because that would jeopardize the investigation.”
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