Rwandan President Paul Kagame has suspended the prison sentence of Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina, convicted of terrorism. Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo announced that Rusesabagina will be released from prison tomorrow. In addition, 18 convicted accomplices will also be released.
APA/AFP/Multiple Sources/Nicolas Maeterlinck
Rusesabagina, 68, became a symbol of humanity during the Rwandan genocide in 1994, most notably through the Hollywood film “Hotel Rwanda”. Rusesabagina took more than 1,200 Tutsis to her hotel and saved their lives. In recent years, however, some of the survivors have also criticized Rusesabagina, who profited from the genocide as a hotel manager. Rusesabagina denied this.
In August 2020, Rusesabagina, an outspoken opponent of longtime president and autocrat Kagame, was arrested in the Rwandan capital Kigali. A year later, he was sentenced to a long prison term for alleged terrorist activities.
Makolo pointed out that the verdict still stands despite the prison release: “There is agreement that serious crimes have been committed.” According to media reports, Rusesabagina will leave Rwanda and travel to the US. These took on an intermediary role in negotiations between Rusesabagina and the Rwandan government.