OTTAWA — A former Haitian senator accused of having links to criminal gangs, drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption in Haiti is suing the federal government to have himself removed from Canada’s sanction list.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this month in the Federal Court, controversial former Haitian senator Rony Celestin says the government’s decision to sanction him in late 2022 was “unreasonable” and based on “vague impressions and perceived ambiguities.”