- 'Hotel Rwanda' hero Paul Rusesabagina was freed following an arrest in September 2021
- The 68-year-old was allegedly lured to Kigali believing he was heading for Bujumbura, Burundi
- Washington negotiated with Kigali for several months for the release of Rusesabagina
Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film 'Hotel Rwanda,' has been freed and has boarded a plane in Qatar bound for Houston after his release from prison in Rwanda last week.
The individual, who is a permanent resident of the United States and has lived in exile in San Antonio, Texas, for more than a decade, was sentenced in September 2021 to 25 years in prison. The decision was due to his connection to
Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda," has been freed and has boarded a plane in Qatar bound for Houston after his release from Rwanda last week.
The individual, who is a permanent resident of the United States and has lived in exile in San Antonio, Texas, for more than a decade, was sentenced in September 2021 to 25 years in prison. The decision was due to his connection to a group opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame's administration.
Hotel Rwanda Hero Freed from Imprisonment
The 68-year-old Kagame critic said he was lured to visit Rwanda in 2019 when he boarded a private plane in Dubai. He believed the flight was bound for Bujumbura, Burundi, and not Kigali, where he was detained, as per Aljazeera.
On Friday, Kagame commuted Rusesabagina's sentence, resulting in his release after several months of negotiations between Washington and Kigali. On Monday, he arrived in Doha before traveling to the United States.
After actor Don Cheadle played his identity in the 2004 film, he was feted worldwide. The movie portrayed him as a hero who put his life on the line to shelter and protect hundreds of refugees when he worked as the manager of a luxury hotel amid the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
The US' historically close ties with Rwanda had been pressured by Rusesabagina's arrest and American allegations, which Kigali has denied. The US accused Rwanda of sending troops into the neighboring region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in support of the rebels in the area.
On the other hand, the European Union and several experts with the United Nations made similar allegations as the US. Furthermore, rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have accused the Kagame administration of conducting a fight against dissent.
Fighting Against Dissent
In a Twitter post, United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that he was pleased to welcome Rusesabagina back to the country. According to Reuters, he also expressed his gratitude to the people who worked tirelessly with the Rwandan government to finalize the individual's release.
Rwanda officials said the decision to release Rusesabagina resulted from a shared desire to reset the US-Rwanda relationship. The individual, during his trial, acknowledged having a leadership role in an opposition group. However, he denied any responsibility for the attacks carried out in the region by the group's armed wing.
The plane Rusesabagina boarded while traveling to the US touched down in Houston on Wednesday afternoon. CBS News said he was set to travel next to a military hospital in San Antonio and will soon be reunited with his family.
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