Ukrainian Canadians welcome decision

by Borys Sydoruk

CALGARY - News that John Demjanjuk's American citizenship was restored was welcomed by Canada's Ukrainian community.

Reviewing the procedures used to denaturalize and deport Mr. Demjanjuk, Judge Matia noted that attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Investigations had "acted with reckless disregard for their duty t the court" and had committeed "fraud upon the court."

Commenting, John B Gregorovich, of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said: "We have always been against U.S.-style denaturalization and deportation procedures in war crimes cases because of the less rigorous standards of evidence applied. We believe that any person accused of being a war criminal should be brought to trial in a Canadian criminal court. That, given the seriousness of a war crimes charge, is only fair."

"We now have additional evidence about just how unjust the American approach can be and proof about the unacceptable behavior of the OSI. Canada should not adopt U.S. methods that have, yet again, proven faulty and, indeed, immoral," he added.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 1, 1998, No. 9, Vol. LXVI

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