Suspected Nazi war criminal Konrad Kalejs was arrested here Wednesday following a request for his extradition by authorities in Latvia, Australian officials said here.
Justice Minister Amanda Vanstone said Latvia had sought the extradition of Kalejs, 87, on a charge of genocide and one of war crimes, tonight.
The Latvian-born Kalejs appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday and was released on bail on condition he surrender all passports, not apply for travel documents or try to leave the country.
He was also required to notify the authorities of any change of address.
Kalejs, who has held an Australian passport since 1957, has been accused of war crimes during the World War II Nazi occupation of the Baltic republic.
Moves have been underway to secure Kalejs' extradition for almost a year following his deportation from Britain in January. Australia signed an extradition treaty with Latvia in July this year.
A municipal court in the Latvian capital of Riga issued an arrest warrant in October authorising Latvia to seek the extradition of Kalejs from his home in Melbourne.
Prosecutors charged Kalejs with genocide in September, alleging he led a guard unit at a slave labour camp outside Riga which was responsible for the starvation, torture and murder of Jews, Gypsies and others between 1942 and 1943.
Kalejs has admitted being an officer in the Latvian death squad, the Arajs Kommando, but denies committing any atrocities.
The Latvian charges allege he led a guard unit in 1942 and 1943 at a forced-labour camp in the town of Salaspils, 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Riga, where scores of Jews and Russian prisoners of war were tortured and executed.
About 95 percent of Latvia's 70,000-strong Jewish population died during the German occupation.
Kalejs returned to Australia earlier this year after Nazi hunters tracked him down to a nursing home in central England.
His deportation from Britain followed similar actions by Canada in 1997 and the United States in 1994.
Kalejs is said to be suffering from prostate cancer, dementia and blindness but Nazi hunters have claimed his poor health may be overstated in order to prevent any extradition.
If Kalejs opposes extradition, the case could go to the High Court and take years to settle.
However, if his extradition were to be successful he would be the first suspected Nazi collaborator tried in Latvia since the Baltic country gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991.
Prosecutors in Latvia warned that the process could be drawn out.
"There will undoubtedly be a long process of appeals and the issue may be decided by biology," Latvian human rights lawyer Nils Muzinieks said.
"It's important for Latvia to move forward and demonstrate willingness to prosecute Nazi war criminals. But it's dangerous to raise expectations, to expect he'll be in the dock soon and that Latvia can quickly try him and move on."
Kalejs' whereabouts were unknown on Wednesday night.
When he first arrived from London he was sheltered by a network of friends including an elderly Latvian-Australian woman in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley.
He was subsequently believed to be living in a retirement home east of Melbourne but may now have moved to a house on the Mornington Peninsula.
Vanstone was not available for comment but said in a statement Australia would follow normal extradition processes and Kalejs would be able to exercise his full rights under the law.
Jewish groups welcomed the decision to start extradition proceedings.
The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) said the move clearly demonstrated that Latvian authorities were serious about prosecuting Kalejs for his alleged involvement in war crimes and genocide.
"Australia took the principled step earlier in the year to institute extradition arrangements with Latvia for such an eventuality which we trust will enable Australia to act expeditiously," AIJAC executive director Doctor Colin Rubenstein said -- MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP)
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