Kenyan Court Approves Extradition Of Former Afghan Lawmaker To US

A court in Nairobi has approved the extradition of Zahir Qadir, former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s House of Representatives, to the United States, according to his family.

Qadir’s lawyer has requested a 14-day stay on the ruling, seeking time to file an appeal. The appeal is expected to be submitted within the next two weeks, the lawyer confirmed. Jalal Qadir, the former lawmaker's nephew, told Afghanistan International that the decision was made on Tuesday.

Qadir was arrested in Nairobi on 18 April at the request of the US government, facing charges of attempting to traffic narcotics and illegally transferring weapons. The court has ordered that he remain in police custody pending the commencement of extradition proceedings.

In response to the ruling, Qadir’s family has renewed its appeal for intervention from the Taliban, urging the group to act in securing his release. The Taliban had previously pledged to investigate the case, with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stating that efforts would be made "as far as possible."