Moscow continues its efforts to ensure the extradition of 99-year-old SS veteran, Yaroslav Hunka, from Canada to answer for his crimes, according to Russian Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov. Last September, Hunka made headlines when he received a standing ovation as a guest in the Canadian Parliament during a visit by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. His unit participated in brutal anti-guerrilla operations in Poland and Soviet Ukraine from 1943 to 1944, with members accused of massacres and atrocities against Polish, Jewish, and Russian civilians.
In late 2022, Russia requested the extradition of Hunka, who was 98 years old at the time, on charges of genocide for his alleged involvement in the murder of at least 500 Soviet citizens. However, Ottawa rejected the request due to a lack of an extradition treaty between the two countries.
Last Thursday, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office announced that it had added Hunka’s name to Interpol’s database, continuing the search for the Nazi veteran and indicating that his extradition would be demanded if his location is discovered in another foreign country.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has been accused of being “disingenuous” by Ambassador Stepanov when it claims Hunka to be innocent, as the nation’s practice often turns a blind eye to past actions committed before immigrants arrived in Canada. The envoy emphasized that Ottawa is well aware of Hunka’s dark past and the history of thousands more Nazi collaborators who have found refuge in Canada since 1945.
Moscow’s embassy in Canada will continue its efforts to ensure that Hunka, a “Nazi henchman,” is extradited to Russia to face justice for his actions during World War II.