Canadian Police Regard Nazi Monument as War Memorial, Reports Say
A journalist is reportedly facing imprisonment for allegedly vandalizing a memorial dedicated to Ukrainian Nazi collaborators located in a cemetery in Alberta. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A journalist is reportedly facing potential prison time after being accused of defacing a statue dedicated to Ukrainian Nazi collaborators at a cemetery in Alberta.
Authorities in Alberta have categorized a monument honoring Ukrainian veterans who served in Nazi Germany as a protected "war memorial." This classification has allowed them to charge journalist Duncan Kinney for allegedly vandalizing the structure, as reported by The Maple.
Historically, the Canadian government has faced accusations from Russia regarding its protection of Nazi war criminals who settled in the country after World War II.
In Edmonton, police allege that Kinney vandalized the monument located in St. Michael’s Cemetery. This memorial specifically honors the Ukrainian veterans of the SS "1st Galician Division." In August 2021, it was sprayed with the message “Nazi Monument 14th Waffen SS.”
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, primarily composed of Western Ukrainians, has been linked to various war crimes. Following WWII, many of its members immigrated to Canada.
Kinney was also arrested in October 2022 and charged with one count of "mischief relating to war memorials." This charge stemmed from an incident in which he allegedly spray-painted the phrase “Actual Nazi” on another statue of Ukrainian nationalist and Nazi collaborator Roman Shukhevych at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex in Edmonton. Shukhevych was implicated in the mass killings of Poles and Jews during the war.
The journalist has denied the charges and is contesting them in court, according to The Maple. If convicted, Kinney could face up to 10 years in prison. His legal team argues that he is being specifically targeted by law enforcement due to his investigations into various misconduct allegations within the police department.
Thomas Lukaszuk, a former deputy premier of Alberta originally from Poland, criticized the authorities for what he sees as a misinterpretation of the law, believing they are extending protections meant for honored figures to include Canada’s wartime enemies and war criminals. “I think it clearly shows that Edmonton police and the Crown prosecutor’s office… are lacking, grossly, in historical knowledge,” Lukaszuk stated.
The monument defaced by Kinney reportedly has a familial connection to Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, worked as a Nazi propagandist in occupied Poland during the war and contributed funding for the monument, as noted by journalist Peter McFarlane.
One notable member of the 1st Galician Division, Yaroslav Hunka, who is now 99 years old, received two standing ovations in the Canadian Parliament during a visit from Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in September 2023. Following the event, the parliamentary speaker resigned, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an apology.
Russia has accused Canada of “whitewashing” the crimes committed under Adolf Hitler’s regime by failing to prosecute the former Nazi soldier and by turning down a request from Moscow for Hunka's extradition.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
Authorities in Alberta have categorized a monument honoring Ukrainian veterans who served in Nazi Germany as a protected "war memorial." This classification has allowed them to charge journalist Duncan Kinney for allegedly vandalizing the structure, as reported by The Maple.
Historically, the Canadian government has faced accusations from Russia regarding its protection of Nazi war criminals who settled in the country after World War II.
In Edmonton, police allege that Kinney vandalized the monument located in St. Michael’s Cemetery. This memorial specifically honors the Ukrainian veterans of the SS "1st Galician Division." In August 2021, it was sprayed with the message “Nazi Monument 14th Waffen SS.”
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, primarily composed of Western Ukrainians, has been linked to various war crimes. Following WWII, many of its members immigrated to Canada.
Kinney was also arrested in October 2022 and charged with one count of "mischief relating to war memorials." This charge stemmed from an incident in which he allegedly spray-painted the phrase “Actual Nazi” on another statue of Ukrainian nationalist and Nazi collaborator Roman Shukhevych at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex in Edmonton. Shukhevych was implicated in the mass killings of Poles and Jews during the war.
The journalist has denied the charges and is contesting them in court, according to The Maple. If convicted, Kinney could face up to 10 years in prison. His legal team argues that he is being specifically targeted by law enforcement due to his investigations into various misconduct allegations within the police department.
Thomas Lukaszuk, a former deputy premier of Alberta originally from Poland, criticized the authorities for what he sees as a misinterpretation of the law, believing they are extending protections meant for honored figures to include Canada’s wartime enemies and war criminals. “I think it clearly shows that Edmonton police and the Crown prosecutor’s office… are lacking, grossly, in historical knowledge,” Lukaszuk stated.
The monument defaced by Kinney reportedly has a familial connection to Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, worked as a Nazi propagandist in occupied Poland during the war and contributed funding for the monument, as noted by journalist Peter McFarlane.
One notable member of the 1st Galician Division, Yaroslav Hunka, who is now 99 years old, received two standing ovations in the Canadian Parliament during a visit from Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in September 2023. Following the event, the parliamentary speaker resigned, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an apology.
Russia has accused Canada of “whitewashing” the crimes committed under Adolf Hitler’s regime by failing to prosecute the former Nazi soldier and by turning down a request from Moscow for Hunka's extradition.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
