Yaroslav Hunka Extradition Demanded by Poland Over Alleged Nazi Past

Furious politicians in Poland are seeking the extradition of Yaroslav Hunka after the alleged Nazi was inadvertently feted by Canada's parliament.

Hunka, 98, is a Ukrainian who was lauded as a veteran "hero" of his country during a parliamentary meeting attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

But it later emerged Hunka was accused of a troubling Nazi past, when the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies alleged that during World War II, he served as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, also known as the First Ukrainian Division or the Galicia Division.

Members of the division, which was under the Nazis' command, were accused of killing Jewish and Polish civilians. But around 600 of its troops were allowed to settle in Canada after the war, and the decision to welcome them has long proved controversial there.

Canadian House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota has since apologized amid calls for his resignation, claiming he was unaware of all aspects of Hunka's past when he invited him to attend. Hunka was sitting in the public gallery when Rota pointed him out to the politicians assembled in the chamber and said he was "a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for his service."

Adding further insult to injury, Zelensky is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust. Unaware of whom he was being presented with, he raised his fist in solidarity as Canadian politicians cheered Hunka as a hero.

The scandal made headlines around the world and drew the attention of the Polish government to Hunka. On Tuesday, Polish Education Minister Przemyslaw Czarnek called for Hunka's extradition from Canada in the pursuit of justice for his alleged crimes.

Czarnek posted a letter on X, formerly Twitter, that he sent to the Institute of National Remembrance, according to journalist Andrew Russell of the Canadian news site Global News. The institute Czarnek appealed to is an organization that can investigate and prosecute Nazis who committed crimes and atrocities.

A translation of Czarnek's post, read: "In view of the scandalous events in the Canadian Parliament, which involved honoring a member of the criminal Nazi SS Galizien formation in the presence of President Zelensky, I have taken steps towards the possible extradition of this man to Poland. #NOForFalsifyingHistory!"

Zelensky, who was visiting Canada in a bid to raise further support for Ukraine after Russia's February 24, 2022, invasion, has not commented about the incident.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the error as "deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians."

Rota issued a statement over the weekend apologizing, saying. "In my remarks following the address of the president of Ukraine, I recognised an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action."

Hunka has not commented publicly.

Newsweek on Tuesday reached out to the governments of Poland, Ukraine and Canada by email for comment.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice Canada replied via email, saying: "We are aware of news and social media reports about Poland's potential extradition request.

"In general terms, extradition requests are considered confidential state-to-state communications, so we cannot comment on the existence of a potential extradition request unless made public by the courts. Extradition in Canada is conducted in conformity with the Extradition Act, international treaties and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Of note, Poland does not currently have an extradition treaty with Canada."

Update 2/10/23, 2:51 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a comment from the Department of Justice Canada.