The U.S. Department of Justice says former Afghan Deputy Speaker of Parliament Abdul Zahir Qadir has appeared before a federal court in Manhattan, New York, following his extradition from Kenya.
According to U.S. authorities, Qadir is facing charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The court has ordered that he remain in custody while judicial proceedings continue.
The Justice Department said Qadir was arrested at a hotel in Nairobi on April 14, 2025, and that Kenya’s High Court approved his extradition to the United States the following month.
The case is being heard in a federal court in New York. U.S. prosecutors say that if convicted, Qadir faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Abdul Zahir Qadir, 52, is a prominent Afghan political figure who previously served as deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s House of Representatives.
