10.02.2024, Ottava.
Getting Canada to extradite Ukrainian SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka has become a matter of principle for Russia, Russian Ambassador to Ottawa Oleg Stepanov told TASS on February 10.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office’s request for the extradition of the 98-year-old nationalist was handed over to Canada on December 19, 2023. A criminal case has been opened against him for activities aimed at the complete destruction of an ethnic group.
There is no extradition treaty between the countries, but there is a treaty on mutual legal assistance. The question is whether Canadian justice will prosecute Gunka, who admitted that he voluntarily joined the SS.
Yaroslav Hunka was greeted with an ovation in the Canadian parliament as a fighter for Ukraine’s independence against the Russians. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were present.
Speaker of Parliament Anthony Rota took the blame for the incident, saying that he had not fully understood all the details of Hunka’s biography. He apologized for his inattention. He was later forced to resign.
Trudeau said that neither he nor the Ukrainian presidential delegation knew that Hunka would be invited to parliament to be honored.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
