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A Rwandan court has sentenced Paul Rusesabagina, the man who inspired a Hollywood movie about the 1994 genocide and to accuse President Paul Kagame, 25 years of imprisonment for “terrorism”.
The National Liberation Front (FLN), which opposes Kagame’s government, has been accused of holding protests in Rwanda.
“The Court finds that in the light of the available evidence, evidence has been presented. . . We are aware that there is a first case against Rusesabagina in connection with the creation and involvement of terrorists, “Judge Beatrice Mukamurenzi said in Rwanda’s capital Kigali on Monday.
“We see Rusesabagina’s role in creating FLN, earning money and buying them smart phones to use, all of which are criminal offenses. That is why we find him to be a criminal offense,” he added. Her family and lawyers are investigating her case and say Rusesabagina was not tried fairly.
For the protesters, the arrest of a Belgian citizen and the receiving of a free US presidential medal illustrate what Kagame’s government, which was responsible for turning the country up to after the genocide, violently crushed dissidents at home and abroad. Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front ended the 1994 genocide, in which about 800,000 Tutsi and a minority Hutu won, and won the war.
A separatist in the country, Rusesabagina was arrested last year after what his daughters said was “kidnapped” by Rwandan authorities. He was on his way from Dubai to Burundi and was detained in Kigali.
“My father was arrested, tortured and then forced into a humiliating trial because he tried to undermine human rights in Rwanda. There is no trial in Rwanda. There are no independent courts and there is no justice for our fathers,” said Anaïse Kanimba, his daughter.
Kagame said he refuses that Rusesabagina was “kidnapped” by the authorities: “There was no robbery. There was nothing wrong with her coming here. She came here based on what she believes and desires to do.” Kagame was speaking at the national ceremony that “the person shall be tried in a fair and just trial. And nothing will be lacking about this. ”
But Geoffrey Robertson QC, an international lawyer and Clooney Foundation for Justice’s TrialWatch expert, said: “This was a fair trial. The evidence against him was disclosed but not disputed. it could be a death sentence. ”
Rusesabagina became world-famous after his success in 2004 Hotel Rwanda, as presented by Don Cheadle. In its 2006 history, Ordinary Man, describes how he managed to hide more than 1,200 people inside the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali. But critics, including Kagame, objected.
“The temporary trial has exposed the terrorism of the FLN-led group by Rusesabagina.