– Government affirms Guyana’s responsibility ends before extradition stage

THE Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs on Wednesday issued a statement clarifying what it described as a “misleading interpretation” of Guyana’s extradition treaty with the United States of America, as reported in the Stabroek News.
The clarification follows a front-page headline in the Stabroek News of November 12, 2025, titled “Extradition treaty says requesting party must pay their expenses.” The article quoted Article 13 of the treaty between the two nations, which states that “all expenses connected with the extradition shall be borne by the high contracting party making the application.”
According to the Attorney General’s Chambers, this provision has long been interpreted to mean that the requesting state—in this case, the United States—bears the costs associated with the actual extradition process after a decision to extradite has been made. These expenses typically include the transportation of the extradited individual to the requesting country.
However, the Ministry emphasised that the costs related to the process leading up to the extradition, such as legal proceedings and representation within Guyana, are and have always been borne by the Government of Guyana.
“This interpretation reflects longstanding practice and has been recognised in local legislation,” the release noted, citing confirmation from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who has overseen dozens of extradition cases over more than two decades.
To illustrate, the statement referenced the extradition of Marcus Bisram from the United States, noting that while the U.S. Government handled the legal proceedings there, Guyana paid for Bisram’s transport once the extradition was approved.
The Ministry also indicated that consultations with several Caribbean jurisdictions confirmed that similar arrangements exist throughout the region.
Questioning the intent behind the newspaper’s interpretation, the statement concluded:
“Why would the Stabroek News, an important mainstream media, want to engage in such forays that distract from an international engagement between two countries co-operating to bring fugitives across international frontiers to justice, is a question only they can answer.”
The Attorney General’s Chambers said the clarification was issued to set the public record straight and prevent further misunderstanding regarding Guyana’s treaty obligations and practices in extradition matters.