From hero to “terrorist”: the journey of Rwandan opponent Paul Rusesabagina

It inspired the film Hotel Rwandain which a hotelier saves a thousand people by sheltering them in his establishment during the 1994 genocide. If his heroism propelled him to international notoriety, his strong opposition to the Rwandan government also made him a target of power.

I do not forget. It’s my duty. If we forget, we cannot manage the present and prepare for the futureimmediately affirms Paul Rusesabagina on the show All Terrain on the airwaves of ICI Première.

Now aged 70, this man was made famous by the feature film Hotel Rwandareleased in 2004, which tells how this moderate Hutu who ran the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali saved some 1,300 people during the Tutsi genocide in 1994.

Opposing Rwandan President Paul Kagame for more than 20 years, whom he accused of showing authoritarianism and fueling anti-Hutu sentiment, Mr. Rusesabagina used his Hollywood fame to give global resonance to his positions.

However, due to his repeated tirades against Mr. Kagame, he eventually fell into the hands of those in power.

In 2020, he was arrested by law enforcement, tried and then sentenced to 25 years in prison after being found guilty to have founded the National Liberation Front (FLN) and to belong to this rebel group accused of having carried out deadly attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019.

I like to fight when necessary. But my best weapon is words.

After spending 939 days behind bars, he was finally released after the government commuted his sentence. A decision purely politicaldoes not hesitate to say his Quebec lawyer, Philippe Larochelle, at the microphone of Janic Tremblay.

[Rusesabagina] in prison was too high. So he was released. This is symptomatic [du fait] that there is no justice in this country”,”text”:”It was judged that the political cost associated with keeping Paul[Rusesabagina] in prison was too high. So he was released. This is symptomatic [du fait] that there is no justice in this country”}}”>It was judged that the political cost associated with maintaining Paul [Rusesabagina] in prison was too high. So he was released. This is symptomatic [du fait] that there is no justice in this countrycontinues the lawyer. [Paul] Kagame is good at rewriting history. He transformed a hero into a terrorist.

The conviction of Mr. Rusesabagina (New window) in 2021 had sparked international disapproval. Belgium, of which he is a national and where he lived in exile, said it considered that he had no not benefited from a fair and equitable trial. The United States, which awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, said it concerned by this conviction.

The trial fakedaccording to Me Larochelle, combined with inhumane detention conditions and torture, ultimately resulted in confessions done under duress.

Paul’s trial did not belong to him. He belonged to power in Kigali. There were too many issues at stake for it to be left in the hands of the judges.

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In the coming weeks, Mr. Rusesabagina, who now resides in the United States, will pay attention to the events taking place in Rwanda since, on July 15, the population will be called to the polls to elect their next president.

Last week, the provisional list of presidential candidates was published. Out of nine files, only three have so far been retained by the Electoral Commission, the same as in the last presidential election, in 2017.

% of votes?”,”text”:”There is no such thing as free and democratic elections in Rwanda. How can you be elected with 99% of the votes?”}}”>Free and democratic elections in Rwanda do not exist. How can you be elected with 99% of the votes? denounces the political opponent by referring to the latest voting results.

As the election approaches and Paul Kagame tries to obtain a fourth term, the political opponent promises: he will not be silent.

With information from Agence France-Presse and RFI