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Hotel Rwanda hero jailed on terror charges
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Paul Rusesabagina, the 鈥淗otel Rwanda鈥 hero who became a fiercely outspoken government critic, was sentenced on Monday to 25 years in prison on terrorism charges after what his supporters labeled a politically motivated show trial.
He was convicted by a high court in Kigali of involvement in a rebel group blamed for deadly gun, grenade and arson attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019.
鈥淗e founded a terrorist organization that attacked Rwanda, he financially contributed to terrorist activities,鈥 Justice Beatrice Mukamurenzi said at the end of a seven-month trial.
Rwandan prosecutors had sought a life sentence for the 67-year-old former hotelier who is credited with saving over 1,200 lives during the country鈥檚 1994 genocide, and whose actions inspired the Hollywood film.
But Mukamurenzi said the penalty 鈥渟hould be reduced to 25 years鈥 as it was his first conviction.
Neither Rusesabagina nor his lawyers were in court for the ruling, which his family 鈥 who have voiced concerns about his health 鈥 warned could see him die in jail.
The 20 co-defendants, who appeared in court handcuffed and wearing pink prison uniforms, were given sentences ranging from three to 20 years.
Rusesabagina, who used his fame to denounce Rwandan leader Paul Kagame as a dictator, has been behind bars since his arrest in August 2020 when a plane he believed was bound for Burundi landed instead in Kigali.
His family say Rusesabagina was kidnapped and had rejected the nine charges against him as payback by a vengeful government for his outspoken views.
Earlier this month, Kagame dismissed criticism of the case, saying Rusesabagina was in the dock not because of his fame but over the lives lost 鈥渂ecause of his actions.鈥
The trial opened in February but the Belgian citizen and US green card holder boycotted it since March, accusing the court of 鈥渦nfairness and a lack of independence.鈥
The United States 鈥 which awarded Rusesabagina its Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 鈥 as well as other governments and rights groups had voiced concerns about his transfer to Rwanda.
On Monday, Washington and Brussels both said they were concerned that Rusesabagina was denied a fair trial.
鈥淭he reported lack of fair-trial guarantees calls into question the fairness of the verdict,鈥 US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, citing objections raised by Rusesabagina over access to his lawyers.
Belgium鈥檚 foreign ministry said that despite appeals from Brussels, 鈥淩usesabagina did not benefit from a fair and equitable trial.鈥
鈥淭he presumption of innocence was also not respected. These elements de facto call into question the trial and the verdict.鈥
Kagame鈥檚 government accused Rusesabagina of belonging to the National Liberation Front, a rebel group blamed for attacks in 2018 and 2019 that killed nine people. He denied any involvement.
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