Kenyan court clears extradition of ex-MP Zahir Qadeer to US

A Kenyan court has upheld the extradition of former lawmaker Abdul Zahir Qadeer to the United States to face charges related to drug trafficking and illegal firearms, rejecting his attempt to block the transfer, according to a report by the Daily Nation.

The High Court affirmed a lower court’s ruling allowing the extradition of Zahir Qadeer, finding that Kenya’s obligations under international treaties supported the request by US authorities.

In its decision, the court said Kenya could not “abdicate its duty” in combating drug trafficking and illegal arms dealing, and ruled that the US request to have Qadeer surrendered “has merit.” The judges upheld a magistrate’s decision issued last year permitting his extradition.

Qadeer, who served as a deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s parliament under the previous government, had argued through his lawyer, Edward Oonge, that Kenya and the US did not have an applicable extradition treaty covering the alleged offenses. He urged the High Court to quash the earlier ruling, which had authorized his handover through Kenya’s attorney general.

Prosecutors opposed the appeal, with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga, arguing that Kenya’s Constitution recognizes international treaties to which the country is a signatory. The court agreed, citing international agreements and legal obligations that it said made the extradition lawful and binding.

The judges also noted that Kenya had formally endorsed the US request after receiving it, with the attorney general affixing the government seal. They said a 1931 extradition treaty involving Kenya, the United States and Britain remained applicable.

US authorities are seeking Qadeer on charges including conspiracy to import narcotics, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and related conspiracy counts. According to the court, arrest warrants were issued by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 25, 2025.

Qadeer was arrested in Nairobi on April 14 after, authorities said, traveling to Kenya for business.

In court filings, Qadeer denied the allegations and described himself as a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record. He argued that the extradition request was flawed and politically motivated, and said he was engaged in civil, academic and political work in Afghanistan.

He also told the court that his father, Abdul Qadir, a former senior government official, had been assassinated for political reasons.

The High Court found that the lower court had properly applied the law and concluded that Qadeer should be extradited to face trial in the United States.