Florida Pastor’s Miami Trial Opens in Haiti Assassination

Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian-American pastor, is standing trial in Miami on charges tied to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, including conspiracy to kill or kidnap him; Sanon has pleaded not guilty and faces a possible life sentence if convicted. Prosecutors allege he helped organize and finance a South Florida-based plot, recruited participants and hoped to become president after Moïse was ousted, with the plan involving Colombian former soldiers and other international participants. Moïse was killed when armed men stormed his home near Port-au-Prince, and his wife was wounded. Sanon’s lawyers acknowledge he had presidential ambitions but deny he knew of a plan to kill Moïse, arguing that others sidelined him; supporters also say his commitment to Haiti is incompatible with murder. The case is part of a wider investigation in which several defendants have already been convicted, including five sentenced to life in prison.