The second court session of Zahir Qadir, former deputy speaker of the previous Afghan government's house of representatives, concluded Friday without result in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
According to Qadir’s defense lawyer, he is accused of trafficking drugs and weapons to the United States and is concerned about being extradited there.
According to international media reports, a decision from the court on Qadir's extradition to the US is expected on May 13.
Qadir’s defense attorney said: “The court can reject the request—especially in this case, if we provide sufficient evidence. We believe there are political motives behind this issue. That’s why we want him not to be extradited. We believe this is a conspiracy by the United States to capture him.”
Qadir was arrested in Kenya three weeks ago on charges of trafficking weapons and drugs to the United States.
Following his arrest in Nairobi, Kenyan media reported that the US had requested the Kenyan government extradite Qadir to the United States.
“If the Kenyan courts fail to establish that there are political elements involved in this matter, they will be obliged to hand Qadir over to the US for prosecution there,” said Najib Rahman Shamal, a political analyst.
According to international media reports, Qadir's case was not finalized in the second court hearing in Nairobi, and a decision on his extradition to the US is expected on May 13.
Abdul Zahir Qadir previously served as the commander of border police, a member of parliament, and the first deputy speaker in the former Afghan government.
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