A dual Haitian-Chilean citizen, Rodolphe Jaar has been sentenced to life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty for his involvement in the assassination of Haitian President, Jovenel Moise.
KanyiDaily recalls that on July 7, 2021, President Jovenel Moise, 53, was shot and killed inside his residence in the Pelerin 5 neighborhood, situated in the hills above Port-au-Prince.
The president suffered 12 gunshot wounds, including injuries to his forehead and torso. He also endured the gouging of his left eye, along with broken bones in his arm and ankle, according to one of the investigators involved in the case.
His life was extinguished on the scene, with his lifeless body discovered lying on his back, blood drenching his shirt. Although the first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot, she survived the attack.
During a brief 10-minute hearing in Miami, Judge Jose E. Martinez delivered the sentence to Rodolphe Jaar. The life sentences for the three charges will be served concurrently.
In March, Jaar pleaded guilty to three counts, including conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States, as well as providing material support that resulted in death, as stated in the plea agreement.
Considering Jaar’s background and the gravity of his offenses, Judge Martinez recommended that he be incarcerated in a federal facility located in or near South Florida, as indicated in the court’s records.
In exchange for his guilty plea, Jaar had agreed to be sentenced by a judge, cooperate by providing truthful testimony, disclose relevant documents and records, and appear before a grand jury and other legal proceedings when summoned by federal prosecutors.
Following Moise’s assassination, Jaar was among several suspects who remained at large for several months. He was apprehended in the Dominican Republic and subsequently extradited to the United States in January 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Jaar played a role in financing the acquisition of weapons, providing accommodation and sustenance to other co-conspirators, and contributing funds for bribes targeting Haitian officials responsible for Moise’s security.
KanyiDaily had also reported how a military tribunal sentenced a former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, to life imprisonment for the murder of his predecessor, Thomas Sankara.