Why do war criminals keep finding refuge in Canada?

First it was Nazis. Now? A different war but the same blind eye to war crimes, and the same silence from those in power

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Canada has a long, shameful habit of sheltering war criminals. Isn’t it about time we put an end to that legacy?

One of the most embarrassing moments in recent memory came in September 2023, when Yaroslav Hunka received a standing ovation in the House of Commons. A 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian, Hunka had served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS, a military unit that collaborated with Nazi Germany and was involved in numerous atrocities against civilians during the Second World War.

Speaker Anthony Rota hailed Hunka as a “Canadian hero” for fighting the Soviets, ignorant of the fact that the Soviets were Canada’s allies in that war.

Hunka wasn’t an anomaly. He was one of the thousands of Nazi collaborators reportedly welcomed to Canada after the war, many of whom quietly escaped prosecution. The government didn’t seem bothered that it was exposing the public to individuals who had sidestepped justice.

When the Hunka scandal broke, outrage fixated on Rota’s gaffe. But the deeper scandal—the institutional pattern—went largely ignored.

Even Michael Chomiak, the grandfather of Chrystia Freeland—who served as deputy prime minister under Justin Trudeau and now serves as minister of transport and internal trade under Prime Minister Marc Carney—edited and published Nazi propaganda in Ukraine using a printing press stolen from a Jewish family. He lived freely in Canada. Freeland, for all her moral posturing, has never expressed a hint of remorse for her grandfather’s role.

This silence isn’t just disappointing; it’s dangerous. And while politicians look away, many Canadians are paying attention.

During the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Hamas filmed and released footage of its own atrocities in real time—videos that now stand as candid, self-incriminating evidence of war crimes. In the two years since Israel’s military response in Gaza began, some Israeli soldiers have also openly shared disturbing accounts of their conduct on social media. These posts and videos aren’t just shocking; they raise serious legal questions.

Under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, the federal government has both the authority and the responsibility to investigate and prosecute any war criminal found in Canada—whether they are Canadian citizens accused of committing atrocities abroad or foreign nationals who have entered Canada to escape accountability.

An organization called the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), based in Belgium and named after a six-year-old Palestinian girl allegedly killed by an Israeli tank crew, has been tracking some of the Israeli soldiers who posted those disturbing accounts on social media. The death of Hind Rajab is well-documented—her body was recovered in Gaza and the story was widely reported by international media. However, the allegation that an Israeli tank crew was responsible comes from Palestinian sources and advocacy groups, and has not been independently verified by a neutral tribunal or official investigation.

In Canada, similar calls for accountability have emerged. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a civil rights and advocacy group with a focus on protecting Canadian Muslims against discrimination, has launched an email campaign to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree calling for the federal government to publicly recognize returning Israeli soldiers as potential public safety concerns, refer relevant cases to the RCMP’s ongoing war crimes investigation, and reaffirm Canada’s commitment to a rules-based order by applying domestic and international law equally and without exception.

I’m not Palestinian, but as a vocal member of the Arab-Canadian community, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel fear. Hearing chants like “Go back to Gaza” and “terrorist,” often left unchallenged, shakes my sense of safety and belonging. Like every Canadian, I expect to feel secure in my own country and to be treated as an equal before the law.

Jewish Canadians know this fear of being targeted too. Since Oct. 7, many have faced a surge of antisemitism, from threats and harassment to vandalism and intimidation. Slurs shouted at Jews—including “baby killer,” “Nazi” and “sharmuta” (an Arabic term for “whore”)—only fuel the fire. Their safety, like mine, should never be in question.

If you don’t belong to a minority group, you may never notice it. Groups across communities—from civil rights organizations to interfaith coalitions—are working to educate the public, but clearly, more must be done.

The Hunka and Chomiak affair exposed more than an isolated embarrassment. It revealed a willingness by Canadian institutions to look away when war crimes are committed against the “wrong” victims. That kind of selective justice corrodes public trust.

We can’t afford to stay silent. We must reject antisemitism, but we must also reject anti-Palestinian racism and anti-Arab hate. And we must never again allow war criminals to walk our streets with impunity.

Either justice applies to all of us, or it protects none of us. Until we all feel safe, no one truly is.

Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.