Freed 'Hotel Rwanda' Hero Paul Rusesabagina Arrives in U.S.

Paul Rusesabagina has been released from a Rwandan prison, according to U.S. officials, after the Rwandan government commuted his prison sentence following diplomatic efforts by the United States, Voice of America reports.

Rusesabagina, once a hotel manager in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, is credited with saving hundreds of lives during the country's 1994 genocide. U.S. officials say Rusesabagina was released from prison and taken to the residence of the Qatari ambassador in Kigali. He arrived in the United States on Wednesday March 30, the White House said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Rusesabagina's release, saying: "We also thank the Government of Qatar for their valuable assistance that will enable Paul's return to the United States. The United States believes in a Rwanda that is peaceful and prosperous. We reaffirm the principle of seeking political change in Rwanda and globally through peaceful means."

Rusesabagina, a long-time critic of President Paul Kagame, and the man who inspired the movie Hotel Rwanda, was found guilty on terrorism charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2021 His story was told in the Oscar-nominated film, and his trial attracted international attention. Rusesabagina's fall from celebrated hero to state enemy reportedly developed as he criticised President Paul Kagame's government. Some survivors of the genocide have questioned the version shown in the 2005 movie.