Former President Martelly returns to Haiti after judicial summons in Moïse assassination case

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Former Haitian President Michel Martelly returned to Haiti on July 15, about a month after delaying a judicial summons in the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, arriving to a welcome by supporters that included a rara band and a police escort that critics said contrasted sharply with the allegations and legal controversies surrounding him.

Martelly, who has lived in for several years, is expected to appear before Judge Jean Denis Cyprien, who is overseeing the reopened investigation into Moïse’s July 7, 2021 assassination. No charges have been publicly announced against the former president in the case.

Martelly’s return revives one of Haiti’s most politically charged public debates. While supporters continue to celebrate his presidency and political movement, critics argue that his return comes as he faces mounting legal scrutiny, including corruption allegations, international sanctions and questioning in one of Haiti’s most consequential criminal investigations.

Upon his arrival in the commune of Pétion-Ville, Martelly was greeted by supporters who had gathered along the route, accompanied by a rara that drew public attention after months away from the country.

Images of Martelly’s arrival quickly spread across social media, where supporters celebrated his return while others questioned the public reception, arguing that a former president facing multiple legal controversies and international sanctions should not have been welcomed as a national figure. Some also blamed Martelly’s administration for helping shape the political and security crisis Haiti faces today.

“While the people are suffering from insecurity and impunity, celebrating a former president sanctioned by the United States for drug trafficking is celebrating the very system that is destroying the country,” X user Spidey Manigat_pat wrote.

Martelly was summoned last month by Judge Cyprien after requesting a postponement of an initial mid-June hearing while he remained in the United States. He is now expected to answer questions as part of the reopened investigation into Moïse’s assassination.

Nearly five years after Moïse was killed, Haiti’s judicial investigation remains unresolved. Moïse was assassinated on July 7, 2021, when armed mercenaries stormed his private residence in Pèlerin 5, Pétion-Ville.

The case has passed through five investigative judges, but no trial has taken place and no final judgment has been issued. The only indictment produced during the investigation, implicating about 50 people, was later overturned by the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal, forcing the judicial process to resume.

Before summoning Martelly, investigators had already questioned several prominent figures, including the current director general of the Haitian National Police, (PNH), Andre Jonas Vladimir Paraison, human rights advocates, members of the former political opposition and other individuals connected to the investigation.

Authorities have not publicly indicated that Martelly,the former leader of the Haitian Tèt Kale Party (PHTK), is a suspect in the assassination. His appearance before the judge forms part of the ongoing effort to clarify the circumstances surrounding the killing of the former president.

The assassination case is not the only legal matter in which Martelly’s name has surfaced.

In December 2025, Haiti’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) issued a report alleging that Martelly made false asset declarations and committed significant financial irregularities. The agency referred its findings to the justice system and recommended criminal proceedings, but no judicial investigation has been publicly announced.

According to the ULCC report, investigators found delays, omissions and inconsistencies in financial disclosures and banking records submitted by Martelly and members of his family. The investigation began after complaints alleged they had illicitly enriched themselves while he was in office.

It remains unclear whether Haitian prosecutors intend to pursue the recommendations now that Martelly has returned to the country.

Martelly also remains under international sanctions.

In August 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on former president Martelly, alleging that he used his political influence to facilitate international drug trafficking networks and support armed gangs operating in Haiti. U.S. authorities said those activities contributed to the country’s worsening insecurity.

Several months earlier, in November 2023, Canada sanctioned Martelly, Charles Saint-Rémy and former lawmaker Arnel Bélizaire, alleging they used their positions within Haiti’s political and economic elite to protect criminal gangs and facilitate illegal activities, including drug trafficking and corruption.

Martelly has denied wrongdoing related to previous allegations, and neither the U.S. nor Canadian sanctions constitute criminal convictions.

Although Martelly has not been publicly charged in either the Moïse assassination investigation or the ULCC case, his return places him once again at the center of Haiti’s political and judicial landscape as authorities continue pursuing some of the country’s most consequential and closely watched investigations.

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