Haiti restarts investigation into murder of president Jovenel Moise
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After years of delays, Haitian judges restart the investigation into President Jovenel Moïse’s killing, with 20 suspects still behind bars and no trial in sight.
Haiti Restarts Investigation into President Jovenel Moïse’s Assassination
Nearly four years after the killing, 20 suspects remain in detention as judges reopen hearings amid gang violence and judicial chaos.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti – The Haitian government has reopened the investigation into the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, nearly four years after he was gunned down in his home. Despite the high-profile nature of the case, none of the suspects detained in Haiti have faced trial, and the inquiry has been plagued by gang violence, judicial threats, and institutional collapse.
To date, 20 suspects remain in custody, including 17 former Colombian soldiers and three Haitian nationals—a former mayor, a former police officer, and Joseph Badio, a former Ministry of Justice official. All are accused of involvement in the July 7, 2021 attack that shocked the nation and deepened Haiti’s ongoing political crisis.
A Justice System Under Siege
The investigation has been reassigned to six different judges, many of whom have resigned over death threats. Gangs have taken control of 85% of Port-au-Prince, including the downtown courthouse, forcing hearings to be relocated multiple times. Proceedings are now held in Pétionville, a more secure residential area.
One detained suspect, Jheyner Alberto Carmona Flores, told a judge,
“I have been subjected to degrading treatment. I have been subjected to physical and psychological torture.”
The Colombian detainees deny involvement in the murder, claiming they were misled by a Miami-based security firm and brought to Haiti under false pretenses—to protect infrastructure and train local police.
Mounting International Pressure
While Haiti’s case has stalled, the United States has made progress. Eleven suspects extradited to the U.S. have been charged, with five pleading guilty to conspiring to assassinate the president. Five others are awaiting trial, scheduled for March 2026.
According to Haitian court documents, the original plan was to kidnap Moïse and fly him out of the country. But the plan reportedly failed due to lack of a plane and insufficient weapons, resulting instead in the president’s brutal murder.
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