Jorge Vinicio Sosa Orantes is currently detained in Calgary, AB. He is a former officer of the notorious counterinsurgency group, the Kaibiles, of the Guatemalan military.  Credible testimony implicates him as one of the organizers of the massacre in 1982 of 252 civilians in the community of Dos Erres in Guatemala. 
   
Sosa Orantes, who holds Canadian, Guatemalan and American citizenship, was arrested pursuant to a US request in Lethbridge Alberta Jan 18, 2011. The US wants him for falsifying information in his naturalization papers in relation to his involvement with the Guatemalan military. Sosa Orantes is also wanted in Spain, where he has been charged for his alleged participation in crimes against humanity. Canada also is equipped to try Sosa Orantes for crimes against humanity under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

If Mr. Sosa Orantes is extradited to the US, he will be prosecuted only for naturalization fraud committed in that country with a maximum imprisonment of ten years.  For true justice to be done, Sosa Orantes must be tried for the crimes against humanity he allegedly committed.  This can be done in Canada under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, as well as in Spain. 

We strongly urge the Minister of Justice, the Hon. Rob Nicholson, to:

1.) Pursue an investigation on the crimes against humanity that Sosa Orantes allegedly committed.
2.) Look favourably upon the opportunity to extradite him to Spain where he may be tried for alleged crimes against humanity.
3.) Not look favourably upon the US request of extradition, which would carry a weak penalty, for naturalization fraud.

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