Calgary

Alleged war criminal denied bail in Calgary

A man accused of taking part in a massacre in Guatemala has been denied bail as he waits to find out if he will be extradited to the United States.
Jorge Vinicio Orantes Sosa, 52, seen in a karate demonstration, is wanted in Guatemala on war crimes charges, and in the U.S for allegedly making a false statement relating to his citizenship application. (YouTube)
A man accused of taking part in a massacre in Guatemala has been denied bail as he waits to find out if he will be extradited to the United States.

A Calgary judge said Wednesday that Jorge Vinicio Orantes Sosa, 52, is a flight risk.

Sosa, who holds both Canadian and American citizenship, was arrested in January in Lethbridge, Alta.

The karate expert, who had been living in Riverside, Calif., is accused of lying on his U.S. citizenship application by denying he had ever committed a crime or been a member of the military.

Sosa is suspected of participating in a massacre of more than 150 people at the village of Dos Erres during the Guatemalan civil war in 1982.

An indictment by the United States District Court for the Central District of California alleges that Sosa was the commanding officer of the special patrol sent to the village.

He'll be back in court on April 20 for an extradition hearing.