The story of Samir Handal, a former UN employee extradited for the assassination of Haiti’s president, who ended up in Sincan Prison

Samir Handal, a Haitian citizen who has been living in the United States for many years, is facing extradition proceedings as a suspect in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse at his home last year. Handal, for whom a red notice was issued by Interpol as he boarded a flight from the US to Palestine, was detained at Istanbul Airport during a layover. After the court’s verdict, the president will make the final decision on Handal’s extradition. Handal’s wife Mirna Handal, who is currently detained in Sincan Prison, and his counsel Mahmut Barlas spoke to Medyascope.

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse died on July 7, 2021 as a result of an armed attack at his home. In addition to 26 Colombian assassins, two Haitian nationals participated in the planning and execution of the assassination of Moïse, who became president in 2017. One of the assassination suspects is Christian Emmanuel Sanon. Sanon was arrested one day after the assassination. Sanon, who lives in Florida, is considered by Haitian authorities to be one of the masterminds of the murder.

Sanon was rented Handal’s house

In 2011, in a YouTube speech which is titled “Haiti’s leadership,” Sanon made his political claim by accusing Haitian politicians of corruption and introducing himself as a “potential new leader.” Two months before his assassination, Sanon rented Samir Handal’s house for three months and lived there for two months. Haitian authorities therefore claim that Handal is linked to the assassination.

Mirna Handal told Medyascope that she had only seen Sanon in photographs and had never met him. Counsel Mahmut Barlas said Sanon was a well-known figure in Haiti and that Handal also knew Sanon but was not aware of Sanon’s assassination plan. Sanon, who rented his house in May, is alleged to have gathered with other people to plan the assassination. According to counsel Barlas, Sanon testified before a judge in prison last week that he knew Samir Handal, but that Handal never attended any political meetings and had nothing to do with the assassination.

Handal returned to the US two days after the assassination

In 1978, Handal immigrated to Haiti from Palestine, where he was born, and worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for nearly 20 years. He settled in the United States, where he received a Green Card. Handal, who lives in Miami and spends three to four months of the year in Haiti, was in Haiti during the assassination. When he was in Haiti, Handal stayed at his daughter’s house. According to his counsel, Handal, who made an appointment with his cardiologist in the US on June 27 for July 13, flew to Miami on July 9 due to allegations that the airport would be closed after the assassination. Handal had originally planned to board a flight two days later.

The FBI took Handal’s statement.

About nine days after his arrival in the US, the FBI took Handal’s statement on the assassination allegations. Counse Mahmut Barlas said that no investigation was opened against Handal after the testimony, that no judicial action was taken in the US for nearly four months, and that Haiti did not ask the US to extradite Handal. According to Barlas, more than one person has been extradited to the US to stand trial as part of the FBI’s investigation into the matter in the US.

Red notice issued while the plane was in the air

Samir Handal boarded a flight from the United States on November 15 to visit his mother in Palestine. However, after the plane took off, the International Police Organization (Interpol) issued a red notice against Handal on the grounds that he had been summoned to testify by the Haitian state. Handal, who landed at Istanbul Airport for a connecting flight, was detained due to the red notice. Handal was temporarily arrested for 40 days and sent to Maltepe Prison. He was then transferred to Ankara Sincan High Security Prison.

Counsel Mahmut Barlas said he could not understand why the red notice was issued after the plane took off. The reason for the red notice is a summons to testify issued by the Haitian government.

Following Handal’s arrest, Turkey requested extradition request documents from Haiti. Since there is no Haitian representative office in Turkey, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote a note through the Haitian Embassy in the neighboring Dominican Republic, requesting the sharing of any evidence against Handal. In the note, it was stated that extradition is regulated according to Law No. 6706, while in another letter sent with a “very urgent” note on November 19, 2021, it was stated that “As of today, the documents submitted by Haiti do not comply with the requirements of the said Law No. 6706”. The note also stated that if the requested documents are not received by December 24, the temporary arrest warrant will be lifted.

Written request submitted on the last day

The written request came on the last day of the 40-day provisional detention period. According to counsel Barlas, even though the extradition proceedings were not examined on the merits, no evidence linking Handal to the assassination was shared. “Police reports show that Mr. Samir Handal left the country in a hurry and did not respond to the summons of the judicial police and the interrogation judge,” the extradition request sent by Haiti reads. Counsel Barlas said that according to the documents in the file, the decision was issued on September 21, but since his client had not been in Haiti since July 9, he was never served with the summons.

“There are clues and suspicions about and against Samir Handal that need to be clarified,” the Haitian authorities wrote in their written extradition request. Mr. Handal’s presence is necessary for the proper conduct of the investigation and trial and to respond to the charges against him.” However, counsel Mahmut Barlas and Mirna Handal, citing reports by many international organizations and human rights organizations, including the UN, said that extraditing Samir Handal to Haiti could lead to massive human rights violations and irreparable consequences.

Counsel Mahmut Barlas stated that the Colombian state authorities had personally visited the suspects of this crime, and that there were serious suspicions about what happened to them when they went to testify, so cases were filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and that there were people who had not appeared before a judge for nine months and had not been heard from in nine months.

Mirna Handal: “My wife could be killed if extradited to Haiti”

Speaking to Medyascope about the process Mirna Handal said: “I feel very bad. I am worried about Samir, if he is sent to Haiti he could be killed there, tortured. My husband has epilepsy, he needs regular medication. There are no human rights in Haiti. People in prison cannot even take a shower. The conditions are very bad. I would normally go to Haiti every six months. The last time I went to Haiti was in September 2020. I believe justice will be served.”

Handal said that they have three daughters, one of whom lives in Haiti, and that her daughter is mistreated everywhere she goes because of the allegations against her father. “My husband is not guilty, I hope the truth will come out,” Handal said, expressing confidence in the court’s decision. Handal added that she had not seen her husband since his imprisonment.

“My wife is not in politics”

Handal said that her husband was in no way involved in active politics and only followed the news. Mirna Handal said that after renting their house to Sanon, they never entered the house and were not aware of what was happening.

The court will only decide on extradition

The Istanbul 37th High Criminal Court only conducts extradition proceedings. It cannot examine the merits. Even if the court considers Handal a suspect, it will take into account the trial and legal system in Haiti when deciding whether to extradite him. Counsel Mahmut Barlas said that there is no reason for Handal to be subjected to extradition proceedings, but even if there is, Handal, who should be tried without remand, is being tried in pre-trial detention due to “suspicion of flight and evidence tampering.”

Next hearing on April 15th

Handal is being tried by the Istanbul 37th High Criminal Court with a request for extradition to Haiti. The first hearing of the case was held on January 18. The next hearing will be held on April 15.