Former hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina, who played a heroic role in the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda, was recently released from a Kigali prison.
A Rwandan court convicted him of terrorism two years ago and sentenced him to 25 years in prison in what his supporters have called a sham trial.
Mr. Rusesabagina’s sentence was reportedly “commuted by presidential decree,” as stated by a government spokeswoman.
Mr. Rusesabagina, 68, is credited for saving the lives of about 1,200 individuals during the genocide that occurred in 1994.
His release was hailed as a “good outcome” by Vice President Joe Biden of the United States.
In a statement, he said,
“I share the joy of Paul’s family at today’s good news.” His family was excited to have him return to the United States.”
The release of Mr. Rusesabagina was the result of years of international pressure and talks brokered by Qatar.
The United States, where he had been a resident since 2009, was a major source of this kind of pressure. He was “wrongfully detained,” according to the Biden administration.
The Rusesabagina family claims that in 2020, Mr. Rusesabagina was enticed back to Rwanda from Texas, where he had a permanent residency, by the Rwandan government.
Away from Rwanda since 1996. For ten years, while he was employed as a taxi driver in Brussels, Belgium, his story was largely unheard of.
Although journalist Philip Gourevitch’s 1998 book on the genocide included a chapter on him, it was the 2004 Hollywood film in which Don Cheadle portrayed him that brought him widespread recognition.
During the 100 days beginning in April 1994, extremists from the Hutu community slaughtered 800,000 Rwandans, the vast majority of whom belonged to the Tutsi ethnic group.
Mr. Rusesabagina, the hotel’s manager at the time, saved the lives of about 1,200 people who had taken refuge inside.
In recognition of his efforts, former US President George W. Bush presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom the following year. As time went on, however, he became a vocal opponent of Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
To bring about change in Rwanda, “the time has come for us to use any means possible,” Mr. Rusesabagina said in a video message released in 2018.
In 2020, he was apprehended after allegedly landing in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, on a private jet he thought was taking him to Burundi.
He was found guilty of supporting a rebel group responsible for deadly attacks in Rwanda in September 2021.
Callixte Nsabimana, spokesperson for the opposition Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change, and Mr. Rusesabagina were both released.
A government spokesman in Rwanda has said:
“There should be no misunderstanding about what this means; all parties agree that serious crimes were committed and that the convicted individuals deserve their punishment.”
“A conviction cannot be erased by a commutation of sentence in Rwanda.”
“Rwanda recognizes the positive role the US government has played in creating conditions for dialogue on this issue, and the facilitation provided by the state of Qatar,” the statement reads.
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