A Polish government minister said this week he had “taken steps” toward the possible extradition of Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran of a Waffen-SS unit who drew applause during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Canada’s Parliament.
Anthony Rota, the speaker of the House of Commons, invited Hunka, a constituent in his Ontario legislative district, to the joint session of Parliament last week. Rota called Hunka “a Ukrainian hero” and “a Canadian hero,” prompting a standing ovation from the crowd and a raised fist from Zelensky.
But Jewish groups later said Hunka had served with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, a unit of the Waffen-SS made up of ethnic Ukrainians. The Waffen-SS was a Nazi paramilitary force formed by key Holocaust organizer Heinrich Himmler.
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Rota apologized for inviting Hunka to the event, saying he had “become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision,” before announcing his resignation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the incident as “deeply embarrassing.”
Poland’s ambassador to Canada said a government minister launched a preliminary bid to establish whether Hunka is responsible for crimes committed in Poland as a basis for extraditing him.
“In view of the scandalous events in the Canadian Parliament, which involved honoring, in the presence of President Zelensky, a member of the criminal Nazi SS Galician formation, I have taken steps toward the possible extradition of this man to Poland,” Polish Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek said Tuesday.
The Polish ambassador, Witold Dzielski, told Canada’s Global News that an extradition process has not started, but that the minister sent a request to the Institute of National Remembrance — a government body which investigates Polish history including crimes committed during World War II — to consider a possible extradition.
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“I’m sure this request will be considered,” Dzielski said. “And possible some steps will follow. But at this point, it’s the first steps of the request for the institute to get involved in the process.”
Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General told reporters Tuesday he could not comment on the prospect of an extradition and that he had not been contacted by the Polish government or received an official request.
Canada does not have an extradition treaty with Poland, which could make a request more complicated — as could Hunka’s age, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Rota, who leaves the speakership on Wednesday after four years, has said it was entirely his decision to invite Hunka to the address by Zelensky, who is Jewish.
The incident brought renewed attention to a period in Ukrainian history during World War II when nationalists allied with the Nazis in a bid to expel the Soviets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has used what he describes as the “denazification” of Ukraine as a pretext for the Kremlin’s war in the country. The State Department describes the claim as one of Moscow’s “most common disinformation narratives.”
Sammy Westfall and Amanda Coletta contributed to this report.
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