NAIROBI, Kenya – A Nairobi court has ordered the extradition of former Afghan deputy parliament speaker Abdul Zahir Qadir to the United States, where he faces serious narcotics and firearms charges.
The ruling, issued on Tuesday by Senior Principal Magistrate BenMark Ekhubi, clears the way for Qadir’s transfer to U.S. custody following a formal request filed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and backed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
“In my view, the threshold has been met by the applicant. I find the application to be merited,” Ekhubi said in court. “I hereby endorse the warrants of arrest and direct that the accused person be surrendered and extradited to the United States to face the subject charges.”
Qadir, a once-prominent figure in Afghan politics, was arrested on April 14, 2025, shortly after landing in Nairobi on a Qatar Airways flight.
Kenyan authorities, acting on intelligence and an international arrest warrant, apprehended him at a hotel in the capital, citing his lack of permanent residence and high flight risk.
Court records show that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a warrant for Qadir’s arrest on March 25.
He is accused of conspiring to import narcotics into the U.S. and possessing a machine gun without a license—charges that could carry lengthy prison sentences if convicted.
DEA special agent Nicholas DiFrancesco confirmed that a formal complaint had been lodged, identifying Qadir as a key figure in a transnational drug trafficking network.
The agency had flagged concerns that Qadir might flee to a country without an extradition treaty, complicating the prosecution of other suspects tied to the case.
Kenyan prosecutors echoed those concerns, arguing that allowing Qadir to remain in the country could derail a complex international investigation.
On April 15, the court had already approved the Attorney General’s request to detain Qadir as the extradition process got underway.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) later confirmed that he remained in custody as Tuesday’s ruling was delivered.
Meanwhile, statements made by Qadir’s family suggesting he had been held in Dubai were firmly refuted by Kenyan authorities, who confirmed that the arrest and detention took place entirely within Nairobi.
