Florida pastor goes on trial over Haitian president’s assassination

A Haitian-American pastor accused of helping to plan the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise went on trial Monday in Miami, Florida.

Christian Emmanuel Sanon faces eight charges, including conspiracy to kidnap or kill a person outside the US.

US prosecutors allege that Sanon helped finance the conspiracy and arranged travel and lodging for himself and others involved in the plot.

The alleged plan began in April 2021, when Sanon met in South Florida with a former Haitian senator and US businesspeople, according to the indictment.

Moise was killed on July 7, 2021 when armed men entered his home in Port-au-Prince and shot him. His wife, Martine Moise, was wounded in the attack.

The assassination was followed by an expansion of armed gang control across large parts of Haiti.

More than 40 people have been charged in the US in connection with the assassination, while 12 have been convicted, including five who are serving life sentences, US authorities said.

The US case expanded this year after authorities charged 30 additional suspects and transferred 18 defendants from Haitian custody to the US.

The group includes Joseph Felix Badio, a former Haitian government official accused of involvement in the assassination, and 17 former Colombian soldiers accused of participating in the operation.

Proceedings in Haiti have faced repeated delays, with judges resigning from the case over security concerns. Armed gangs also seized control of the courthouse in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Haiti has not had an elected president since Moise's assassination and is preparing for presidential elections scheduled for December.

The country continues to face widespread gang violence, with thousands killed and more than 1 million people displaced in recent years.