PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, (CMC) – The President of the Haitian Senate, Joseph Lambert, says he will challenge the decision of the United States and Canada for imposing sanctions against him for his alleged involvement in “significant corruption” and “gross violation of human rights”.

“On November 4th, the US Treasury Department indexed me unfairly. Together with Canada, they imposed sanctions on me. I affirm that they were wrong and I will fight this unfounded decision,” Lambert said in a brief statement.

He said he had already given a mandate to an unknown law firm to pursue the matter insisting that “law and justice are put to the test between the USA, Canada and I, Joseph Lambert”.

Last Friday, the Biden administration announced that it was sanctioning Lambert, with US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, stating that Lambert abused his public position by participating in corrupt activity that undermined the integrity of Haiti’s government.

“Further, there is credible information of Lambert’s involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely an extrajudicial killing during his government tenure,” added Blinken, adding that the State Department is also designating Lambert’s wife, Jesula Lambert Domond.

He said that, under this authority — Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2022 — designated officials of foreign governments and their immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States.

In a separate, but similar action last Friday, the US Department of the Treasury designated Lambert for his alleged involvement in international drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Canada, Mélanie Joly, said that Canada is imposing targeted sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations in response to the egregious conduct of Haitian political elites who provide illicit financial and operational support to armed gangs.

These sanctions target two individuals, Lambert and former President of the Senate, Youri Latortue. The new measures will impose a dealings prohibition on these individuals, effectively freezing any assets they may hold in Canada.

Joly said Canada has reason to believe these individuals are using their status as previous or current public office holders to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other acts of corruption.