By John Ikani
Paul Rusesabagina, the former hotel manager who became known as a hero in the film “Hotel Rwanda”, is set to be released from prison in Kigali, Rwanda.
Rusesabagina, now 68 years old, was sentenced to 25 years on terrorism charges two years ago in a trial that his supporters deemed unfair.
A government spokesperson announced that the President of Rwanda has ordered the commutation of his sentence.
The family of Rusesabagina have expressed joy over the news of his release, saying they look forward to reuniting with him soon.
His release has been widely called for, especially from the United States where he lived since 2009.
The Joe Biden administration had earlier criticized his detention, calling it unjust.
Rusesabagina’s family has maintained that the Rwandan government lured him back to Rwanda from his permanent residency in Texas in 2020.
He had left Rwanda in 1996 and worked as a taxi driver in Brussels for a decade.
His story gained global attention after being portrayed by Don Cheadle in the 2004 movie “Hotel Rwanda”.
The Rwandan genocide claimed 800,000 lives mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group, in 1994.
At that time, Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, protected 1,200 people who sought refuge in the hotel.
For his efforts, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former US President George W. Bush.
However, he became a critic of Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and called for a regime change in a video message in 2018.
In 2020, Rusesabagina was arrested by the Rwandan government after a private jet he believed would take him to Burundi instead landed in Kigali.
He was found guilty in September 2021 of supporting a rebel group that carried out attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019.
Rusesabagina’s release was accompanied by that of Callixte Nsabimana, the spokesperson of the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change.
The Rwandan government emphasized that the commutation of their sentence does not nullify their conviction as serious crimes were committed.
It also noted that the US government played a constructive role in facilitating dialogue on the issue and Qatar provided facilitation.
