US judge orders ex-Peruvian president released on bail

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. judge says former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo can be released on bail while he fights extradition to his native country to face corruption charges.

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ordered Toledo released but says the former president can’t leave the lockup before Oct. 22 so federal prosecutors have time to appeal or find a different “detention arrangement.”

Chhabria cited Toledo’s declining mental health in the written order issued Thursday.

The 73-year-old Toledo has been in solitary confinement since his arrest at his home in the city of Menlo Park on July 16.

He is confined to a small cell and allowed out for an hour every two days.

The ex-president is accused in Peru of taking $20 million in bribes from a construction company.