The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Wednesday unanimously dismissed an appeal by Guyanese Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, clearing the way for extradition proceedings requested by the United States to continue in Guyana.
The ruling upholds the validity of an Authority to Proceed (ATP) issued by Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs in October 2025 after the United States submitted an extradition request for the two men.
The Mohameds had challenged the ATP, arguing that it was invalid because it was allegedly tainted by bias. Guyana’s High Court and Court of Appeal both rejected those claims, prompting the appeal to the CCJ.
In its decision, the CCJ unanimously dismissed the substantive appeal, finding no basis to invalidate the Minister’s decision to issue the Authority to Proceed.
The court held that the applicants failed to establish that the ATP was affected by any legally relevant bias. It emphasized that issuing an Authority to Proceed is a preliminary administrative step that commences the extradition process under Guyanese law.
The ruling also lifted the interim stay previously granted by the CCJ, allowing extradition proceedings before the Guyanese courts to resume.
The court ordered that each party bear its own costs before the CCJ while reserving its decision on costs in the courts below.
The matter was heard by the full seven-member bench of the Caribbean Court of Justice, comprising President Justice Winston Anderson and Justices Rajnauth-Lee, Barrow, Jamadar, Ononaiwu, Eboe-Osuji and Bulkan.
The decision means the extradition proceedings against Azruddin Mohamed and Nazar Mohamed will now continue before the Guyanese courts.