Rusesabagina's trial started in February, six months after he arrived in Kigali via Dubai aeroplane. His supporters claim he was abducted.
A Rwandan court found Paul Rusesabagina, a former hotel manager who was portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood film about the 1994 genocide, guilty of being a member of a terrorist organisation on Monday.
“They should be found guilty for being part of this terror group – MRCD-FLN,” Beatrice Mukamurenzi, the judge, stated of the 20 defendants, one of whom was Rusesabagina. “They attacked people in their homes, or even in their cars on the road travelling.”
Since Rusesabagina, 67, was arrested on arrival from Dubai last year after what he characterised as a kidnapping by Rwandan authorities, the storey has gotten a lot of attention.
Rusesabagina has become a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame, located in the United States, since being portrayed as the hero of the 2004 film ‘Hotel Rwanda’ by actor Don Cheadle. His supporters dubbed the trial fraud and indicative of Kagame's merciless treatment of political opponents. He had rejected all of the charges against him.
Cheadle was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Rusesabagina exploited his celebrity to call attention to what he called human rights breaches by Kagame's government, a Tutsi rebel commander who came to power after his forces won Kigali and put an end to the genocide.
Rusesabagina's trial started in February, six months after he arrived in Kigali via Dubai aeroplane. His supporters claim he was abducted, but the Rwandan government claims he was duped into flying on a private plane. His arrest, according to Human Rights Watch at the time, amounted to an enforced disappearance, which it described as a serious violation of international law.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for terrorism, arson, kidnapping, and leading an armed rebel group from abroad, among other counts. One of the defendants took unwell shortly after the original verdict was announced, resulting in a brief recess that delayed verdicts on subsequent charges and punishment.
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 "‘Hotel Rwanda’ star Paul Rusesabagina found guilty in terrorism case – details inside")
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