Nazi criminal wanted by Italy denied Canadian bail

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug 16 (Reuters) A judge has denied bail to a former Nazi SS officer convicted by Italy for murder and torture in World War Two, and warned his appeal of an extradition order was weak.

Michael Seifert is wanted for ''atrocities of the worst order,'' and freeing him while the Canada's Supreme Court decides if it will hear his final appeal to stay would undermine public faith in the justice system, British Columbia Appeals Court Justice Jo-Ann Prowse ruled today.

Seifert, 83, was convicted in absentia by an Italian military court in 2000 as the ''Beast of Bolzano'' who killed nine people in 1944 and 1945 at a facility that held Jews, Italian resistance fighters and others headed to German concentration camps. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Ukrainian-born Seifert has acknowledged being at the Nazi-run camp in northern Italy, but denied he was responsible for any deaths or torture. He moved to Canada in 1951 and worked as a mill worker in Vancouver.

Seifert wants the Supreme Court to review his case, saying lower courts failed to consider weaknesses in the Italian trial or an alleged bias by Canada's former federal justice minister as an advocate for Jewish organizations.

''I have concluded that none of the grounds of appeal put forward can be described as strong or very strong. Some of them are frivolous, and I would describe the balance as weak,'' Prowse wrote.

Seifert was arrested in 2002, but remained free until this month when the B C Appeals Court rejected his claim. Prowse said he could try for bail again if the Supreme Court decides to hear his case.

Reuters SZ VP0210