Canadian Parliament Speaker Apologizes for Praising Former Nazi Soldier

Canadian Parliament Speaker Rota apologizes after praising Ukrainian immigrant Yaroslav Hunka, a former soldier who fought for Nazi Germany.

Canadian Parliament Speaker Anthony Rota invited 98-year-old immigrant Yaroslav Hunka to parliament over the weekend on the occasion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit and speech to the body.

Mr. Rota introduced Hunka as a "Ukrainian-Canadian veteran of World War II who fought for Ukraine's independence" and praised him as a "hero of both countries."

Canadian Parliament Speaker Anthony Rota in Ottawa in November 2021. Photo: Reuters

However, the Jewish rights group FSWC criticized Rota's statement on September 24, pointing out that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, a Nazi unit. FSWC called this "shocking" and "extremely worrying".

"An apology must be made to the survivors of the Nazi genocide and to the World War II veterans who fought against them. An explanation must also be given as to how this individual was able to enter the Canadian parliament and be welcomed by the Speaker," the FSWC said in a statement.

The Speaker of the Canadian Parliament immediately apologized the same day, explaining that after learning more information, he regretted inviting Hunka to the event. He added that the Ukrainian delegation and other members of parliament were not informed in advance about Hunka's presence at the event.

"The statement was entirely my own. I would like to extend my deepest apologies to the Jewish community in Canada and around the world ," Rota said in a statement.

President Zelensky, who is of Jewish descent and whose relatives died in the Holocaust, has not commented on the incident.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office denied any involvement in the incident, reiterating that it was independent of the Speaker and had no prior knowledge of Rota's remarks.

Ngoc Anh (According to AFP )

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