The Polish Ambassador to Canada, Witold Dzielski, has called on the Canadian government to prosecute a 98-year-old Waffen SS officer for war crimes committed by his division. This comes after the Ukrainian Nazi veteran, Yaroslav Hunka, was invited and honored in the Canadian Parliament last week.
Ambassador Dzielski insists that Hunka should face prosecution for the actions of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, which was responsible for the slaughter of millions of innocent people during the Second World War. He believes that it is deeply hurtful to see someone who participated in an organization targeting Poles and committing mass murders being applauded in Canada’s House of Commons.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already deemed the incident profoundly embarrassing. House Speaker Anthony Rota, who invited Hunka to attend the parliamentary session, has stated that he regrets celebrating the Nazi SS veteran as a hero and has offered his deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.
However, Ambassador Dzielski believes that the statements from Trudeau and Rota are insufficient. He points out that it is wrong that Poland was not mentioned in the apologies given by Canadian officials. The Nazi division to which Hunka belonged had committed mass killings of Polish citizens, and it is important for the Canadian leadership to acknowledge the impact of last week’s incident on Polish communities in Poland and Canada.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk has also expressed his disapproval of Speaker Rota’s actions. He believes that Rota has shown a lack of insight, knowledge of history, and diligence. Mularczyk calls for Rota to face personal consequences for his blunder and resign from his position as Speaker of the House.
In conclusion, the Polish Ambassador to Canada is calling for justice to be served in the case of the Ukrainian Nazi veteran attending and being honored in the Canadian Parliament. He insists that Hunka should face prosecution for the war crimes committed by his division. The Canadian government’s apologies to the Jewish community are seen as insufficient, as the impact on Polish communities should also be acknowledged. There are calls for the Canadian House Speaker to face consequences for his role in inviting and celebrating the Nazi SS veteran.
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