Nineteen individuals implicated in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 arrived at a courthouse on Monday, as defense attorneys expressed hopes for their release. However, a judge once again postponed the hearing.
The group, consisting of 17 former Colombian soldiers and two Haitians, awaited their hearing in a private residence located in an affluent area of Haiti’s capital. This arrangement was necessitated by a spike in gang violence that led officials to close the Court of Appeals in downtown Port-au-Prince.
After several hours of waiting, a judge arrived and announced that the case would be postponed until later this month, with no reasons provided.
“We were optimistic about the release of our clients,” stated Nathalie Delisca, the attorney representing the 17 Colombians involved in the case.
Delisca refrained from disclosing the current location of the suspects she represents.
Nearly a year ago, gangs attacked Haiti’s two largest prisons, resulting in the release of thousands of inmates, including those held in the National Penitentiary where the Moïse case suspects were incarcerated.
Delisca emphasized that her clients did not attempt to escape with the other inmates because “they are not guilty. They had nothing to do with the killing of Jovenel.”
Also, in attendance at Monday’s hearing were former Jacmel mayor Macky Kessa and Joseph Badio, who previously worked for Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and the government’s anti-corruption unit until he was dismissed for alleged ethical breaches prior to the assassination.
Badio, regarded as a key suspect in the case, was arrested in October 2023 and was seen limping out of the hearing with assistance from Kessa. His health condition details were not immediately available.
Attorneys representing the Colombians had previously criticized the dire conditions at the National Penitentiary, highlighting a lack of sufficient food and water. Nevertheless, the 17 Colombians who appeared in court on Monday seemed to be in good health.
In a statement released in December, Colombia’s consulate in Port-au-Prince indicated that the suspects are now being held in an undisclosed location that offers significantly improved and more dignified conditions.
While the legal proceedings against the suspects detained in Haiti have largely stalled, U.S. authorities have moved forward with charges and sentences for several others involved.
In December 2023, a Miami judge sentenced former Haitian senator John Joel Joseph to life imprisonment for his role in the assassination of Moïse at his private residence on July 7, 2021, where he was shot multiple times, leading to a political crisis in Haiti.
Also receiving life sentences were Colombian army officer Germán Alejandro Rivera García, Haitian-Chilean businessman Rodolphe Jaar, and former U.S. government informant Joseph Vincent.
In total, over 40 suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, but none in Haiti have yet faced trial.
