Poland’s Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek said on Tuesday, that he has “taken steps” to extradite Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian-Canadian World War II veteran who served in the Nazi-affiliated 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Galician No. 1)
Czarnek’s announcement comes after a recent visit to Canada by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Zelenskyy met with Yaroslav Hunka.
The meeting sparked outrage in Poland, as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Galician No. 1) was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Poles during World War II.
Czarnek did not provide any further details about the steps he has taken to extradite Hunka, but said that he is working with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter.
He also said that he is confident that Poland will be able to extradite Hunka, given that he is a Polish citizen.
Wobec skandalicznych wydarzeń w kanadyjskim parlamencie polegających na uhonorowaniu w obecności także prezydenta Zełenskiego członka zbrodniczej, hitlerowskiej formacji SS Galizien, podjąłem kroki w kierunku ewentualnej ekstradycji tego człowieka do Polski.… https://t.co/92qK1voktN pic.twitter.com/5J4lljH5JX
— Przemysław Czarnek (@CzarnekP) September 26, 2023
Yaroslav Hunka has denied any involvement in war crimes and has said that he joined the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Galician No. 1) because he wanted to fight for Ukrainian independence.
He has also said that he regrets serving in the division.
The Canadian government has not yet commented on Czarnek’s announcement.
It is important to note that Hunka is a Canadian citizen and that Canada has no extradition treaty with Poland for war crimes.
This means that the Canadian government is not obligated to extradite Hunka to Poland.
The extradition of Hunka would be a highly controversial issue.
It would likely spark protests from the Ukrainian-Canadian community and could damage relations between Canada and Poland.
