US rejects claims of political interference in Mohamed extradition case
The United States has pushed back against concerns raised by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) over its role in the extradition proceedings against Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, saying that the case is not politically motivated and that the criminal investigation predates his entry into politics.
Jarrod Crockett, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, told Kiskadee Watch yesterday in response to questions that the US criminal justice system operates independently of foreign political processes and does not pursue criminal charges for political reasons.
“The United States does not pursue criminal charges for political reasons. We do it because we have evidence of wrongdoing; enough evidence for a grand jury to return an indictment,” Crockett said.
His response comes after the GHRA, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed deep dismay over the role being played by the United States in the extradition proceedings, questioning whether Washington was acting in the interests of justice or helping the Guyana Government remove its principal political opponent.
The human rights organisation also raised concerns about the involvement of US legal representatives in the local proceedings, particularly given that their services are being paid for by the Guyana Government.
However, Crockett said that the charges against Mohamed relate to serious financial offences, including wire fraud, money laundering, gold smuggling and sanctions violations, and not political speech, association or opinion.
He said that although the alleged activities originated in Guyana, they involved Miami-based entities and utilised US commercial and financial infrastructure, creating a connection to the United States and alleged violations of its laws.
Addressing the US government’s involvement in the extradition process, Crockett said Washington initiated the extradition request but was not involved in the domestic proceedings before Guyana’s courts.
He pointed to a clarification made by the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall SC in November 2025, that outside lawyers were engaged to action the United States’ extradition request through established procedures on behalf of the Government of Guyana, as required under the bilateral extradition treaty.
Crockett said the matter was now before Guyana’s courts and stressed that the United States had no expectation or timeline for a decision. “We do not have an expectation or a timeline, because it is not our process to control. When the magistrate decides, we will proceed from there. Until then, we will wait,” he said.
The GHRA, in its statement, questioned whether US legal counsel had assumed the role of a prosecutor rather than simply representing American interests in the extradition proceedings.
It also raised concerns about what it described as the persecution of Mohamed, claiming that he had been followed, harassed, arrested on questionable grounds, denied bail and kept in solitary confinement. The organisation further questioned who would safeguard legality and justice if the two governments were working together against the Opposition Leader.
The human rights body has called on the US Government to reconsider its role and urged the International Commission of Jurists, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to intervene.
It also called on local civil society organisations, particularly the Guyana Bar Association, to actively monitor the proceedings, which it said have significant implications for the country’s legal system and national independence.
Crockett, meanwhile, maintained that any domestic legal matters involving Mohamed were unrelated to the extradition proceedings and should not be conflated with the US case.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
