A major blow has been dealt to the Episcopal Church of Haiti, which had been seeking the release of its members, including priests and laypersons detained in connection with the arms and ammunition trafficking case linked to the religious institution.

The Court of Appeal of Port-au-Prince issued a major ruling ordering the accused to stand trial before the criminal court for certain charges for which it believes there is sufficient evidence and grounds. The priests, former Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, former Director of the General Customs Administration Julcène Edouard, and the other accused individuals now know the charges against them.