NAIROBI, Kenya — Zahir Qadeer, a former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s parliament, would appear before a court in Nairobi on Thursday as Kenyan authorities weigh a request from the United States for his extradition on charges related to drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession.
Qadeer, who was detained in Kenya nearly a month ago, has denied the charges and characterized the U.S. extradition request as politically motivated. He told the court that his arrest and potential transfer to the United States were driven by his past political stance against foreign intervention in Afghanistan, particularly during the administration of President Trump.
Kenyan officials confirmed that Qadeer’s arrest was carried out at the request of a U.S. court, which issued a warrant on March 25. The Nairobi court has extended his detention pending a decision on the extradition request.
The Nairobi Times reported on May 3 that Qadeer rejected the extradition as politically charged and called on the Kenyan court to declare the process unjust, repressive, and unconstitutional. In court filings, Qadeer also demanded immediate and unconditional release, arguing that the extradition request lacked sufficient evidence.
His attorney, Ndigwa Njiru, told the court that the U.S. request is based only on a warrant and a summary of allegations, not on substantive evidence. Citing Kenya’s extradition law, he argued that “the process, though not a full trial, must be supported by preliminary evidence of wrongdoing.” No such evidence, he claimed, has been presented.
“Allegations without supporting legal documents or expert reports cannot form the basis for depriving a person of liberty or transferring them to another country,” Njiru said.
The U.S. has accused Qadeer of conspiring in narcotics trafficking and possessing multiple automatic weapons. He remains in custody under court order while the case proceeds.
Qadeer has alleged that the charges are part of a broader plan by his political adversaries to remove him from Afghanistan and silence him abroad. In documents submitted to the court, he claimed to have led a civil movement known as the “Peace Caravan” in Nangarhar Province and to have consistently opposed foreign interference in Afghan affairs.
He also referred to his family’s political legacy, noting that he is the son of Abdul Qadeer, a key figure in the United Islamic Front and a former vice president in Afghanistan’s transitional government, who was assassinated in 2002.
“In parliament, I was one of the most outspoken critics of the government,” Qadeer said in a written statement. “In one speech, I told the president: You were a restaurant worker in America, and we made you president with our votes — we can take those votes back.”
He claimed that his political activism has made him a persistent target of threats and alleged that the Taliban administration is using fabricated charges through its prosecutor general’s office to further silence him.
Qadeer denied any involvement in drug trafficking or arms smuggling and said he has never faced criminal charges in Afghanistan or abroad. “I am a law-abiding Afghan citizen,” he said. “These accusations are baseless and unfamiliar to me.”
He also noted that his last visit to the United States was nearly two decades ago and called Washington’s sudden interest in extraditing him “strange and troubling.”
Qadeer served as a member of the Afghan parliament from 2010 to 2021, including a term as deputy speaker under the former republic.
