US court denies Peru ex-leader Toledo's extradition appeal

A US appeals court panel has denied former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo Manrique's appeal to stop his extradition to Peru to face charges of accepting $20 million in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. Toledo argued that Peru hadn't submitted a charging document or shown probable cause, and that he shouldn't be sent back because it would mean waiting for up to three years in a Peruvian prison to be formally charged, which would put his life at risk because of his age and ill health. The appeals court panel acknowledged that Toledo risks serious health effects if put in a Peruvian prison where conditions are dire, but the judges said they based their decision on the fact that Toledo was unlikely to succeed in challenging his extradition.