RASC News Agencyi: In a decision with significant legal and political implications, a court in Nairobi, Kenya, has approved the extradition of Zahir Qadir, former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s National Assembly, to the United States. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, May 13, marks a turning point in ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to dismantle transnational criminal networks allegedly involving former power brokers from the post-2001 Afghanistani state. Mr. Qadir was detained in the Kenyan capital on April 17, at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice. He faces serious charges including attempted narcotics trafficking and the illegal transfer of firearms, crimes that, if substantiated, would place him among a growing list of former Afghanistani officials entangled in international criminal investigations.
Following the court’s ruling, Qadir’s legal counsel declared their intent to appeal, requesting a two-week delay in the extradition process to submit the necessary legal documentation. “We are in the process of filing an appeal,” said his attorney. “We are confident that a higher court will reconsider the legal foundations of this decision.” Jalal Qadir, the nephew of the accused, confirmed the court’s decision and emphasized the potential repercussions for Zahir Qadir’s legal future. The ruling comes at a time when international legal institutions are increasingly pursuing accountability for figures linked to Afghanistan’s former regime many of whom now reside abroad in semi-exile.
In a paradoxical move, the Taliban who have consistently branded former officials of the republic as traitors and criminals have publicly voiced concern over Qadir’s arrest and vowed to follow his case “seriously.” Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi claimed his administration is “committed” to defending Qadir and would pursue diplomatic channels to prevent his extradition. This overture has provoked widespread criticism and exposed the Taliban’s ongoing hypocrisy. While ruthlessly persecuting former officials inside Afghanistan, often through extrajudicial means, the Taliban now seek to present themselves as international actors defending those very individuals when convenient. Analysts suggest that such duplicity reveals the regime’s opportunistic approach to power: devoid of consistent principles, and motivated solely by political self-interest.
Observers argue that the Taliban’s engagement in Qadir’s case is not a reflection of legal concern or national dignity, but a cynical ploy to bolster their standing on the global stage. “This is less about protecting Afghanistani citizens abroad and more about manufacturing legitimacy in international eyes,” said a political analyst based in Brussels. “The Taliban are manipulating high-profile cases to craft the illusion of a functioning state while at home, they continue to preside over a regime of repression, censorship, and ethnic exclusion.” Following the ruling, Zahir Qadir’s family issued a renewed plea to the Taliban authorities, urging them to take swift action to block the extradition. Their appeal, however, underscores the dangerous irony of relying on a regime that systematically dismantled the rule of law in Afghanistan, silenced dissent, and eliminated judicial independence.
The extradition case has also reignited conversations about the international community’s failure to address the complex legacy of Afghanistan’s post-2001 state-building project a legacy marred by corruption, impunity, and strategic dependency. While many former officials like Qadir once occupied powerful positions within the U.S.-backed republic, a lack of robust oversight allowed networks of criminality and profiteering to flourish. Legal experts suggest that the Nairobi court’s ruling may set a critical precedent for how similar cases involving Afghanistani figures are handled in jurisdictions around the world. “This sends a message that former officials cannot escape accountability simply by relocating abroad,” said an international legal adviser in The Hague.
Meanwhile, critics caution against Taliban involvement in these judicial processes. “The Taliban’s claim to represent Afghanistan in legal or diplomatic forums is inherently illegitimate,” said a senior human rights advocate. “Their brutal record of human rights abuses, gender apartheid, and ethnic cleansing disqualifies them from any role in defending the rights of Afghanistani citizens whether at home or abroad.” As Zahir Qadir’s legal team prepares its appeal, the case continues to highlight the broader contradictions and unresolved tensions in Afghanistan’s post-republic era where the boundaries between justice, politics, and propaganda remain dangerously blurred.
