The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has granted a stay of ongoing extradition proceedings against Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed and has set April 21, 2026, at 9:00 hrs for the hearing of their appeal.
The decision was handed down on Wednesday during a case management hearing before CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson, alongside Justices Maureen Rajnauth-Lee and Chantal Ononaiwu.
The stay pauses the committal hearing currently before Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, effectively bringing the extradition process to a temporary halt pending the CCJ’s review.
In outlining the next steps, Justice Anderson said the case presented a clear element of urgency, asking, “Can we all agree that urgency is a desired objective?” He noted that the court moved to implement an expedited schedule after all parties agreed to a fast-tracked timetable.
As part of its procedural ruling, the CCJ ordered that the application for special leave to appeal would be heard together with the substantive appeal. This means the court will address both whether leave should be granted and the full appeal during the same hearing on April 21.
The court also set strict deadlines for filings leading up to the hearing.
Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed are challenging the legality of the extradition proceedings and the role of State authorities, including the Minister of Home Affairs, who issued the Authority to Proceed, which their attorneys argue was tainted by bias in initiating the process.
The Mohameds’ legal team contends the proceedings are unlawful and could result in serious injustice, while the State maintains that the extradition process has been properly conducted and should continue.
The defence’s arguments have already failed in Guyana’s High Court and Court of Appeal and are now before the CCJ.
