CCJ grants stay, sets April 21 hearing for Mohameds extradition appeal

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has granted a stay of ongoing extradition proceedings against Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed and set April 21, 2026, at 9:00 hrs for the hearing of their appeal.

The decision came on Wednesday during a case management hearing before Justice Winston Anderson, President of the CCJ, along with Justices Maureen Rajnauth-Lee and Chantal Ononaiwu.

The stay effectively pauses the committal hearing currently before Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

In addressing the matter, Justice Anderson observed that the case carries a clear element of urgency.

“Can we all agree that urgency is a desired objective?” he asked, as the court moved to establish an expedited schedule.

All parties agreed to an aggressive timetable aimed at resolving the matter swiftly.

In the procedural decision, the court ordered that the application for special leave to appeal would be heard together with the substantive appeal.

This means the CCJ will both determine whether to grant leave and decide the full appeal during the same hearing on April 21.

All sides, including attorneys representing the State and the Mohameds, agreed to this approach.

The court outlined a strict schedule for filings leading up to the hearing:

The case involves a challenge to the legality of the extradition proceedings and the role of State authorities, including the Minister of Home Affairs, who issued the Authority to Proceed, being biased in initiating the process.

Attorneys for the Mohameds argue that the proceedings are unlawful and risk causing serious injustice, while the State maintains that the process has been properly conducted and should proceed without interruption.

The defence arguments have so far failed in Guyana’s High Court and Appeal Court and is now before the CCJ.