Since August last year, little had been heard about Paul Rusesabagina as he disappeared from the face of the earth during his visit to Dubai. But the man who inspired the film “Hotel Rwanda” shockingly reappeared this year in Rwanda in handcuffs. Rwandan authorities arrested Rusesabina in the country as they accuse him of supporting the armed wing of his opposition political platform. Over the past few years, the political forum claimed responsibility for deadly attacks that happened in Rwanda.
Hotel Rwanda film inspirer Arrested.
This week Rwandan authorities presented Rusesabagina in court for his terrorism trial. Rusesabagina’s trial began with his argument. During his argument, he started by saying that a Rwandan court could not try him as he was no longer a citizen. Additionally, he told the court authorities kidnapped him and held him in Rwanda as a hostage.
Over the years, Rusesabagina received praise for saving Tutsis during the Rwandan 1994 genocide. Additionally, the United States awarded him the U.S Presidential Medal of Freedom. But ever since people figured out what he really was underneath, everyone turned against him. Because of this, his family has raised concerns that he might not get a chance at a fair trial. The family also believes that because Rusesabagina is an outspoken critic of the longtime Rwandan President Paul Kagame and human rights abuses, he won’t get a fair trial. The family states that if their family member ends up in jail, which is likely, then he might die due to poor health behind bars.
The Rwandan government has made declarations that Rusesabagina will receive a fair trial. He currently faces nine charges against him, including membership in a terrorist group, financing terrorism, forming an irregular armed group, and armed robbery and abduction as an act of terrorism. If the court in Rwanda finds him guilty of the charges, Rusesabagina will spend more than 20 years in prison.
Rusesabagina might not get a fair trial.
The circumstances that led to Rusesabagina’s arrest reveal that he has limited access to an independent legal team. Furthermore, Rusesambagina’s health has worsened since authorities arrested him and he started attending court trials. These factors have drawn international concern for the Belgian citizen and U.S. resident regarding whether he will receive a fair trial. Mr. Rusesabagina’s lawyer told the court that the Rwanda prosecution had not presented warrants of his client. The lawyer also revealed that the Rwandan government had not extradited nor arrested his client in Kigali. Previously the prosecution claimed they had arrested Rusesabagina in Kigali.
The judge handling the case has allowed the case to proceed despite Rusesabagina not being a Rwandan citizen. Judge Antoine Muhima has said Rwanda would try a Belgian who committed crimes in Rwanda. The court will recognize that Rusesabagina is a Rwandan with dual nationality who never forsook the Rwandan nationality. The Rwandan penal code states that a non-national who commits a crime in Rwanda will be prosecuted in Rwanda.
Rusesabagina has received praise in the past for saving more than 1,000 people. During the time he sheltered them in hotel Rwanda which he managed during the genocide in 1994. But more than 800,000 Tutsi and Hutus tried to protect them in the hotel lost their lives while doing so. The Rwandan government has long asserted that Rusesabagina’s role in the genocide was exaggerated.
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