Rwandan government critic Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the&nbsp;Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda" about the Rwandan genocide, arrived in the United States after being freed from prison, the White House said on Wednesday (March 29).&nbsp;

"I'm pleased to welcome Paul Rusesabagina back to the United States. We're glad to have him back on US soil &amp; reunited with his family &amp; friends who've long waited for this day to come," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tweeted.

Rusesabagina, 68, was&nbsp;serving a 25-year sentence on terrorism charges. He was transferred from prison to the residence of Qatar’s ambassador in the Rwandan capital Kigali late on Friday. He was escorted by a US embassy representative, reported CNN. &nbsp;

The announcement that his sentence had been commuted followed intense diplomacy by the United States, where Rusesabagina has permanent residency.

Washington's historically close ties with Rwanda have been strained by the case and by U.S. allegations, denied by Kigali, that Rwanda has sent troops into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and supports rebels there.

The spokesperson for Rwandan President Pauk Kagame tweeted that Rusesabagina's release was "the result of a shared desire to reset US-Rwanda relationship".

Rusesabagina, who is now 68-years-old received the prison sentence in September 2021 over his ties to a group that was opposed to President Kagame. He denied the charges and boycotted the trial, which he and his supporters called a political sham.

He also said he had been kidnapped from Dubai in 2019 and returned to Rwanda by force. Kagame denied any abduction, but suggested Rusesabagina had been tricked in Dubai into boarding a plane to Rwanda.

Washington designated him as "wrongly detained", partly because of what it called a lack of guarantees of a fair trial.

(With inputs from agencies) 
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Rwandan government critic Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda" about the Rwandan genocide, arrived in the United States after being freed from prison, the White House said on Wednesday (March 29).

Rwandan government critic Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda" about the Rwandan genocide, arrived in the United States after being freed from prison, the White House said on Wednesday (March 29). "I'm pleased to welcome Paul Rusesabagina back to the United States. We're glad to have him back on US soil & reunited with his family & friends who've long waited for this day to come," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tweeted. Rusesabagina, 68, was serving a 25-year sentence on terrorism charges. He was transferred from prison to the residence of Qatar’s ambassador in the Rwandan capital Kigali late on Friday. He was escorted by a US embassy representative, reported CNN. The announcement that his sentence had been commuted followed intense diplomacy by the United States, where Rusesabagina has permanent residency. Washington's historically close ties with Rwanda have been strained by the case and by U.S. allegations, denied by Kigali, that Rwanda has sent troops into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and supports rebels there. The spokesperson for Rwandan President Pauk Kagame tweeted that Rusesabagina's release was "the result of a shared desire to reset US-Rwanda relationship". Rusesabagina, who is now 68-years-old received the prison sentence in September 2021 over his ties to a group that was opposed to President Kagame. He denied the charges and boycotted the trial, which he and his supporters called a political sham. He also said he had been kidnapped from Dubai in 2019 and returned to Rwanda by force. Kagame denied any abduction, but suggested Rusesabagina had been tricked in Dubai into boarding a plane to Rwanda. Washington designated him as "wrongly detained", partly because of what it called a lack of guarantees of a fair trial. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero arrives in US after being freed from prison

He was lauded as a hero during the grim days of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, credited with saving the lives of more than 1,200 people he sheltered at his hotel, but when he mysteriously reappeared back in his home country late last year, he was in handcuffs.

Now Paul Rusesabagina, who angered the Rwandan government with his pointed criticism from exile in the years after the bloodbath, is about to go on trial in a prosecution that has drawn broad international condemnation.

Rusesabagina, who gained fame after his actions were portrayed in the Oscar-nominated movie “Hotel Rwanda,” is charged with terrorism-related offenses.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hotel-rwanda-inspiration-tells-court-he-did-not-direct-attacks-330254">&nbsp;'Hotel Rwanda' inspiration tells court he did not direct attacks</a>

In August, the 66-year-old former hotelier who lived in Belgium and the United States, was paraded before the press in shackles in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, with no explanation from the authorities as to how he had come to be there.

The trial, which is to begin Wednesday, is being handled by the High Court Chamber for International Crimes and will be held in the trial chamber of the Supreme Court in Kigali.

Rusesabagina has been a staunch critic of President Paul Kagame for years, and his family, his lawyers and critics of the government all say he has no chance at a fair trial.

Here is the story so far:

Who is Paul Rusesabagina, and how did he find himself under arrest?

In 1994, Rusesabagina, who had trained in hospitality in Kenya and Switzerland, was the manager of the luxurious Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali when Rwanda found itself consumed by bloodletting that killed as many as 1 million people.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/paul-rusesabagina-of-hotel-rwanda-film-denied-bail-328311">WATCH|</a>

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But some had the good fortune to find shelter at the hotel, where Rusesabagina used alcohol and cash to deter their would-be killers. He is credited with saving 1,268 ethnic Tutsis and Hutus, and his story became the basis of the 2004 movie “Hotel Rwanda.” Rusesabagina also recounted it in his 2006 autobiography, “An Ordinary Man.”

Lauded globally for his courage, Rusesabagina received numerous humanitarian and civil rights awards, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush.

As his profile rose, Rusesabagina used his new platform to roundly criticize the repressive policies of Kagame, Rwanda’s leader. After his home in Belgium — where he was a citizen — was broken into a few times and documents stolen, Rusesabagina moved his family to a gated community in San Antonio, where he believed they would all be safe.

But on the afternoon of Aug. 31, the Rwandan authorities presented him masked and handcuffed.

Rusesabagina had last communicated with his family from the airport in Dubai, where he had arrived on an Emirates flight from Chicago. He then boarded a private jet that he thought was going to Burundi, where he planned to speak to churches at the invitation of a local pastor.

Instead, the plane, operated by the Greece-based Charter firm GainJet, landed in Kigali early the morning of Aug. 28, where he was promptly arrested and bound for three days. Kagame, speaking on national television, called the operation “flawless” and denied that Rusesabagina had been abducted, as his family said.

In December, Rusesabagina and his family sued the airline. “Through this lawsuit we will be able to get some answers,” Carine Kanimba, one of Rusesabagina’s daughters, said in a telephone interview.

What are the criminal charges against him?

According to the indictment issued by the Rwandan authorities, Rusesabagina is accused of nine offenses, among them murder, armed robbery and being a member of a terrorist organization.

The charges center on Rusesabagina’s leadership in the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change, an opposition coalition in exile whose armed wing, the National Liberation Front, has been accused by Rwandan authorities of carrying out attacks along Rwanda’s southern border with Burundi in 2018.

The authorities have zeroed in on a 2018 video in which Rusesabagina said that all “political means have been tried and failed” in Rwanda and that it was time to “use any means possible to bring about change.”

Rusesabagina is jointly charged with 17 other defendants, including Callixte Nsabimana, also known as Sankara, a former spokesman of the National Liberation Front who is accused of orchestrating attacks in Rwanda’s southern borders.

Rusesabagina asked the court to release him on bail, citing poor health, but his request was rejected. The prosecution described him as a flight risk.

Rusesabagina’s lead counsel, Kate Gibson, said the proceeding should not even start given the many “fair trial violations.” Because of his Belgian citizenship and the circumstances of his arrest, she said, Rwanda “does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate this case, and should dismiss the charges and permanently stay the proceedings,” she said in an email.

Gibson is one of three of Rusesabagina’s international lawyers who have not been allowed into Kigali to represent him.

What are the conditions in which Rusesabagina is being held?

Rusesabagina is in solitary confinement in Mageragere Prison in Kigali, according to his lawyers. He has access to electricity a few hours a day and is allowed to stand outside for an hour daily depending on the weather. He is also allowed a five-minute call to his family once a week.

Rusesabagina, who has high blood pressure, has repeatedly said in recent months that he is afraid he will die from a stroke. Medications the family sent through the Belgian Embassy in Kigali never reached him, they said. And with COVID-19 outbreaks reported in the prison, his family is worried he will contract the virus.

The prison authorities have repeatedly confiscated confidential legal documents, Gibson said. And with no case file or indictment documents and no way to speak with his lawyers privately, Rusesabagina is not able to prepare for his own case, she said.

“This is a violation of his right to communicate in a privileged manner with his lawyer,” she said. “It is a violation of his right to adequate time and resources to prepare his defense. He is completely hamstrung.”

What is the world saying about the case?

The prosecution has been roundly condemned.

On Tuesday, 37 members of the U.S. Congress publicly released a letter sent in December that called on Kagame to release Rusesabagina.

A resolution passed by the European Parliament criticized the Rwandan government for the “enforced disappearance, illegal rendition, and incommunicado detention” of Rusesabagina, and demanded that “his rights as an EU citizen are upheld.” The lawmakers asked member state missions in Kigali, particularly the Belgians, to monitor the trial and visit him in prison.

On Tuesday, the Rwandan Parliament responded, adopting a resolution condemning the EU’s “attempt to improperly influence an ongoing judicial proceeding.”

He was lauded as a hero during the grim days of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, credited with saving the lives of more than 1,200 people he sheltered at his hotel, but when he mysteriously reappeared back in his home country late last year, he was in handcuffs.

He was lauded as a hero during the grim days of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, credited with saving the lives of more than 1,200 people he sheltered at his hotel, but when he mysteriously reappeared back in his home country late last year, he was in handcuffs. Now Paul Rusesabagina, who angered the Rwandan government with his pointed criticism from exile in the years after the bloodbath, is about to go on trial in a prosecution that has drawn broad international condemnation. Rusesabagina, who gained fame after his actions were portrayed in the Oscar-nominated movie “Hotel Rwanda,” is charged with terrorism-related offenses. Also read| 'Hotel Rwanda' inspiration tells court he did not direct attacks In August, the 66-year-old former hotelier who lived in Belgium and the United States, was paraded before the press in shackles in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, with no explanation from the authorities as to how he had come to be there. The trial, which is to begin Wednesday, is being handled by the High Court Chamber for International Crimes and will be held in the trial chamber of the Supreme Court in Kigali. Rusesabagina has been a staunch critic of President Paul Kagame for years, and his family, his lawyers and critics of the government all say he has no chance at a fair trial. Here is the story so far: Who is Paul Rusesabagina, and how did he find himself under arrest? In 1994, Rusesabagina, who had trained in hospitality in Kenya and Switzerland, was the manager of the luxurious Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali when Rwanda found itself consumed by bloodletting that killed as many as 1 million people. WATCH| But some had the good fortune to find shelter at the hotel, where Rusesabagina used alcohol and cash to deter their would-be killers. He is credited with saving 1,268 ethnic Tutsis and Hutus, and his story became the basis of the 2004 movie “Hotel Rwanda.” Rusesabagina also recounted it in his 2006 autobiography, “An Ordinary Man.” Lauded globally for his courage, Rusesabagina received numerous humanitarian and civil rights awards, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush. As his profile rose, Rusesabagina used his new platform to roundly criticize the repressive policies of Kagame, Rwanda’s leader. After his home in Belgium — where he was a citizen — was broken into a few times and documents stolen, Rusesabagina moved his family to a gated community in San Antonio, where he believed they would all be safe. But on the afternoon of Aug. 31, the Rwandan authorities presented him masked and handcuffed. Rusesabagina had last communicated with his family from the airport in Dubai, where he had arrived on an Emirates flight from Chicago. He then boarded a private jet that he thought was going to Burundi, where he planned to speak to churches at the invitation of a local pastor. Instead, the plane, operated by the Greece-based Charter firm GainJet, landed in Kigali early the morning of Aug. 28, where he was promptly arrested and bound for three days. Kagame, speaking on national television, called the operation “flawless” and denied that Rusesabagina had been abducted, as his family said. In December, Rusesabagina and his family sued the airline. “Through this lawsuit we will be able to get some answers,” Carine Kanimba, one of Rusesabagina’s daughters, said in a telephone interview. What are the criminal charges against him? According to the indictment issued by the Rwandan authorities, Rusesabagina is accused of nine offenses, among them murder, armed robbery and being a member of a terrorist organization. The charges center on Rusesabagina’s leadership in the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change, an opposition coalition in exile whose armed wing, the National Liberation Front, has been accused by Rwandan authorities of carrying out attacks along Rwanda’s southern border with Burundi in 2018. The authorities have zeroed in on a 2018 video in which Rusesabagina said that all “political means have been tried and failed” in Rwanda and that it was time to “use any means possible to bring about change.” Rusesabagina is jointly charged with 17 other defendants, including Callixte Nsabimana, also known as Sankara, a former spokesman of the National Liberation Front who is accused of orchestrating attacks in Rwanda’s southern borders. Rusesabagina asked the court to release him on bail, citing poor health, but his request was rejected. The prosecution described him as a flight risk. Rusesabagina’s lead counsel, Kate Gibson, said the proceeding should not even start given the many “fair trial violations.” Because of his Belgian citizenship and the circumstances of his arrest, she said, Rwanda “does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate this case, and should dismiss the charges and permanently stay the proceedings,” she said in an email. Gibson is one of three of Rusesabagina’s international lawyers who have not been allowed into Kigali to represent him. What are the conditions in which Rusesabagina is being held? Rusesabagina is in solitary confinement in Mageragere Prison in Kigali, according to his lawyers. He has access to electricity a few hours a day and is allowed to stand outside for an hour daily depending on the weather. He is also allowed a five-minute call to his family once a week. Rusesabagina, who has high blood pressure, has repeatedly said in recent months that he is afraid he will die from a stroke. Medications the family sent through the Belgian Embassy in Kigali never reached him, they said. And with COVID-19 outbreaks reported in the prison, his family is worried he will contract the virus. The prison authorities have repeatedly confiscated confidential legal documents, Gibson said. And with no case file or indictment documents and no way to speak with his lawyers privately, Rusesabagina is not able to prepare for his own case, she said. “This is a violation of his right to communicate in a privileged manner with his lawyer,” she said. “It is a violation of his right to adequate time and resources to prepare his defense. He is completely hamstrung.” What is the world saying about the case? The prosecution has been roundly condemned. On Tuesday, 37 members of the U.S. Congress publicly released a letter sent in December that called on Kagame to release Rusesabagina. A resolution passed by the European Parliament criticized the Rwandan government for the “enforced disappearance, illegal rendition, and incommunicado detention” of Rusesabagina, and demanded that “his rights as an EU citizen are upheld.” The lawmakers asked member state missions in Kigali, particularly the Belgians, to monitor the trial and visit him in prison. On Tuesday, the Rwandan Parliament responded, adopting a resolution condemning the EU’s “attempt to improperly influence an ongoing judicial proceeding.”

The ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero is about to go on trial. Here’s what we know.

Paul Rusesabagina, the former hotelier portrayed as a hero in a film about Rwanda`s 1994 genocide, told his terrorism trial on Friday he had backed opposition groups, but denied any involvement in violence.

Rusesabagina - who was played by Don Cheadle in the movie "Hotel Rwanda" - was detained in August and charged in Kigali with crimes including terrorism, financing terrorism, arson, kidnap and murder.

The 66-year-old, who has attended past hearings in a suit, appeared in court for the first time in a prison uniform of pink shorts and shirt, with his head shaved.

He enjoyed worldwide acclaim after the Oscar-nominated film portrayed him using his connections with the Hutu elite to protect Tutsis fleeing slaughter.

He went on to become a prominent critic of the government that came in after the genocide, accusing President Paul Kagame of stifling political opposition.

He left the country for Belgium, then the United States and, in a YouTube video posted in December 2018, called for armed rebellion.

On Friday he told the court he had been one of the rotating presidents of the Mouvement Rwandais pour le Changement Démocratique (MRCD). The Rwandan government has accused the MRCD of launching attacks, but he said it was "a platform of many political parties" including his own PDR-Ihumure, all pushing for change.

"I was never involved in the leadership of FLN rebels," he said, referring to an armed organisation that he said was directed by another member of the umbrella group. "When we created FLN, it was not a terror group," Rusesabagina said.

He asked the judge to release him on bail, saying he was ill with a history of thrombosis, cancer and blood pressure-related ailments. The court adjourned, saying it would reconvene on Oct. 2 to consider the bail request.

Rwandan officials abruptly announced Rusesabagina`s detention on Aug. 31 and paraded him before the press in handcuffs.

His family said he had been kidnapped and brought to Rwanda. But Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen, told the New York Times he had been tricked into boarding a private jet he believed was bound for Burundi.

Paul Rusesabagina, the former hotelier portrayed as a hero in a film about Rwanda`s 1994 genocide, told his terrorism trial on Friday he had backed opposition groups, but denied any involvement in violence.

Paul Rusesabagina, the former hotelier portrayed as a hero in a film about Rwanda`s 1994 genocide, told his terrorism trial on Friday he had backed opposition groups, but denied any involvement in violence. Rusesabagina - who was played by Don Cheadle in the movie "Hotel Rwanda" - was detained in August and charged in Kigali with crimes including terrorism, financing terrorism, arson, kidnap and murder. The 66-year-old, who has attended past hearings in a suit, appeared in court for the first time in a prison uniform of pink shorts and shirt, with his head shaved. He enjoyed worldwide acclaim after the Oscar-nominated film portrayed him using his connections with the Hutu elite to protect Tutsis fleeing slaughter. He went on to become a prominent critic of the government that came in after the genocide, accusing President Paul Kagame of stifling political opposition. He left the country for Belgium, then the United States and, in a YouTube video posted in December 2018, called for armed rebellion. On Friday he told the court he had been one of the rotating presidents of the Mouvement Rwandais pour le Changement Démocratique (MRCD). The Rwandan government has accused the MRCD of launching attacks, but he said it was "a platform of many political parties" including his own PDR-Ihumure, all pushing for change. "I was never involved in the leadership of FLN rebels," he said, referring to an armed organisation that he said was directed by another member of the umbrella group. "When we created FLN, it was not a terror group," Rusesabagina said. He asked the judge to release him on bail, saying he was ill with a history of thrombosis, cancer and blood pressure-related ailments. The court adjourned, saying it would reconvene on Oct. 2 to consider the bail request. Rwandan officials abruptly announced Rusesabagina`s detention on Aug. 31 and paraded him before the press in handcuffs. His family said he had been kidnapped and brought to Rwanda. But Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen, told the New York Times he had been tricked into boarding a private jet he believed was bound for Burundi.

'Hotel Rwanda' inspiration tells court he did not direct attacks

Paul Rusesabagina depicted as a hero in a Hollywood movie about Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and now on trial for terrorism, was denied bail on Thursday though he had promised not to escape.

Rusesabagina, who once called for armed resistance to the government in a YouTube video, was charged in a Kigali court on Monday with 13 counts including terrorism, complicity in murder and involvement with an irregular armed group.

The 66-year-old former hotel manager was portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film “Hotel Rwanda” using his connections with the Hutu elite to protect Tutsis fleeing the slaughter.

Rejecting Rusesabagina’s bail application, Judge Dorothee Yankurije said he faced grave charges and must spend 30 days in jail while authorities complete investigations.

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“Being in jail will not stop Rusesabagina from having medical care,” she said.

Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen who had been residing in the United States, cited ill health in his application, vowing not to try to escape from Rwanda during the trial where he may face up to life imprisonment if convicted.

His lawyers said they were dissatisfied by the ruling and that they would launch an appeal.

“His illness is a key concern,” David Rugaza, one of his lawyers, told reporters after the ruling.

His trial and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his appearance in Rwanda after years in exile are shining a spotlight on political opposition to President Paul Kagame.

Rusesabagina’s family in the United States accuse Kagame’s government of kidnapping him from Dubai, where he was on a trip, a claim that officials in Kigali reject.

Kagame has ruled Rwanda since the end of the genocide and won the last elections - in 2017 - with nearly 99% of the vote.

Though credited with bringing stability and economic growth, Kagame’s foes say he has become increasingly autocratic.

Paul Rusesabagina depicted as a hero in a Hollywood movie about Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and now on trial for terrorism, was denied bail on Thursday though he had promised not to escape.

Paul Rusesabagina depicted as a hero in a Hollywood movie about Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and now on trial for terrorism, was denied bail on Thursday though he had promised not to escape. Rusesabagina, who once called for armed resistance to the government in a YouTube video, was charged in a Kigali court on Monday with 13 counts including terrorism, complicity in murder and involvement with an irregular armed group. The 66-year-old former hotel manager was portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film “Hotel Rwanda” using his connections with the Hutu elite to protect Tutsis fleeing the slaughter. Rejecting Rusesabagina’s bail application, Judge Dorothee Yankurije said he faced grave charges and must spend 30 days in jail while authorities complete investigations. × “Being in jail will not stop Rusesabagina from having medical care,” she said. Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen who had been residing in the United States, cited ill health in his application, vowing not to try to escape from Rwanda during the trial where he may face up to life imprisonment if convicted. His lawyers said they were dissatisfied by the ruling and that they would launch an appeal. “His illness is a key concern,” David Rugaza, one of his lawyers, told reporters after the ruling. His trial and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his appearance in Rwanda after years in exile are shining a spotlight on political opposition to President Paul Kagame. Rusesabagina’s family in the United States accuse Kagame’s government of kidnapping him from Dubai, where he was on a trip, a claim that officials in Kigali reject. Kagame has ruled Rwanda since the end of the genocide and won the last elections - in 2017 - with nearly 99% of the vote. Though credited with bringing stability and economic growth, Kagame’s foes say he has become increasingly autocratic.