Savior of thousands of lives during the Genocide in Rwanda sentenced to 25 years in prison, by Anna Mamedova
Admin GHRTV
On September 20, 2021, the High Court in Rwanda's capital of Kigali sentenced Paul Rusesabagina, a Belgian activist of Rwandan origin, who rose into prominence after saving more than 1,000 Rwandans in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, to 25 years in prison.
Paul Rusesabagina, who has been in exile for more than twenty-four years, and was vocally critical of the Rwandan government for their undemocratic rule and the suppression of the opposition, was accused of sponsoring terrorism, abduction, and armed violence during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, as well as supporting rebel groups which perpetrated deadly attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019.
In August 2020, Paul Rusesabagina was arrested by Rwandan forces after his plane, heading from the United Arab Emirates to Burundi, was hijacked, landing in Rwanda instead. The trial commenced in February 2021, but ever since March 2021, Paul Rusesabagina stopped attending court hearings, rendering them politically motivated and criticizing the Rwandan government for fabricating the evidence.
Rwandan prosecutors had initially been seeking a life sentence for Mr. Rusesabagina; however, the High Court of Kigali reduced the sentence to twenty-five years on the grounds of it being Mr. Rusesabagina's first conviction. Belgium, the United States, other partner states, as well as various international and non-governmental rights groups had voiced their concerns about the unfairness and inequity of Mr. Rusesabagina's trial.
For more information, please see https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/hotel-rwanda-hero-paul-rusesabagina-sentenced-to-25-years-in-prison-on-terror-charges-2547622
"Hotel Rwanda' Hero Paul Rusesabagina Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison On Terror Charges
www.ndtv.com
Paul Rusesabagina, the "Hotel Rwanda" hero turned government critic, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday after being convicted of terrorism in a trial that supporters say was politically motivated.
