Paul Rusesabagina was released on Friday after serving more than 900 days in prison. The Rwandan became famous after the movie Rwandan hotels informed a large public of his heroic deeds during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Rusesabagina saved over a thousand people by hiding them in the hotel where he was manager.
The now 68-year-old Rusesabagina has been handed over to the ambassador of Qatar in Rwanda, a US official reports. He will reportedly eventually divert to the US.
Rusesabagina had been in prison since September 2021. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for terrorism. Human rights groups spoke of a show trial that gave President Paul Kagame the chance to get rid of some of his biggest opponents. After fierce criticism from the Americans, the sentence was commuted.
During the genocide of the Tutsi minority in Rwanda in 1994, Rusesabagina was a manager in a luxury hotel in the capital Kigali. 1,268 Tutsis hid in the hotel while being hunted in the area. They all survived the genocide.
In 2004, a movie was made about it in Hollywood under the title Rwandan hotels. American actor Don Cheadle was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Rusesabagina in the film. Rusesabagina also received a high American award in 2005.
