Rwanda releases Paul Rusesabagina, the man who inspired ‘Hotel Rwanda’

Paul Rusesabaginathe man who inspired the protagonist of a Hollywood movie “Rwanda Hotel”, He was released from prison for his opposition to the Rwandan government. It is now located in the ambassador’s residence The State of Qatar waiting to leave United State, Where he lived before his trial. In 1994, the year of the Rwandan genocide, Rusesabagina — who ran a hotel in the capital, Kigali — took in 1,200 people, saving them from death. In a genocide that claimed the lives of 800,000 victims. American film that tells the story of those pogrom days from 2004.

And thanks came from the United States. “We welcome Paul Rusesabagina’s release by the Government of Rwanda. It is a relief to know that Paul has been reunited with his family and the United States Government is grateful to the Government of Rwanda for making this reunion possible. We also thank the Governments of Rwanda and Qatar for the invaluable assistance that will enable Paul from returning to the United States.” Anthony Blinken.

The Rwandan President pardoned Rusesabagina Paul Kagame After being sentenced in 2021 to 25 years in prison for terrorist crimes. Instead, the plane that was supposed to take him to neighboring Burundi in August 2020 landed in Kigali: his lawyers and family described it as a “kidnapping”.

On September 20, 2021, the Supreme Court for International and Transnational Crimes in Kigali found him guilty of establishing and financing the National Liberation Front, the military wing of his party, the Movement for Democratic Change in Rwanda (MRCD). The court handed down a 25-year prison sentence in a trial that was condemned by NGOs such as Amnesty International.

Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makulu said the Qatari mediation also confirmed mediation by the US government.