Paul Rusesabagina, whose actions inspired the blockbuster movie on the 1994 genocide, calls the charges against him a « sham. »
Kigale, Rwanda — Paul Rusesabagina, the who became a fiercely outspoken government critic, was found guilty of terror charges on Monday after what his supporters labelled a politically motivated show trial. He was convicted by a high court in Kigali of forming a rebel group blamed for deadly gun, grenade and arson attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019. « He founded a terrorist organisation that attacked Rwanda, he financially contributed to terrorist activities, » Justice Beatrice Mukamurenzi said at the end of a seven-month trial. Rwandan prosecutors have sought a life sentence for Rusesabagina, the 67-year-old former hotelier credited with saving over 1,200 lives during the country’s 1994 genocide, and whose actions inspired the Hollywood film. Neither Rusesabagina, whose family has raised concerns about his health, nor his lawyers were in court for the verdict. He is expected to appeal. The 20 other defendants in the case, handcuffed and dressed in pale pink prison uniforms, were brought to the court for the session. 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 Rwanda’s capital 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.
