According to AFP, Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the movie Hotel Rwanda and a fierce opponent of President Paul Kagame, will be released from prison after the government announced on Friday that his 25-year sentence would be commuted for ” terrorism”.

Pavlo Rusesabagina, in courtPhoto: Muhizi Olivier/AP/Profimedia

Rusesabagina, 67, known for saving more than a thousand people during the 1994 genocide, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on eight terrorism charges linked to the National Liberation Front (FLN), an organization opposed to the government Rwandan President Paul Kagame. .

He has denied all charges and refused to take part in the trial, which he and his supporters have denounced as politically motivated.

Rusesabagini’s sentence in September 2021 caused protests by international and human rights activists.

In May 2022, Washington believed that he had been “unfairly detained” by Rwandan judicial authorities. Kagame responded that the United States could not “intimidate” him into releasing him.

“Following consideration of their requests for clemency, Paul Rusesabagini and Kallixt Nsabiman have been commuted to prison in accordance with a presidential decree,” Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told AFP.

The sentences of another 18 people for terrorism were also reduced, she added.

Makolo said Rwanda “notes the constructive role of the US government in creating the conditions for dialogue on this issue, as well as the assistance provided by Qatar.”

But she added that “no one should be under any illusions about what this means because there is a consensus that serious crimes were committed for which they were convicted.”

A government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rusesabagin and the other detainees were expected to be released on Saturday.

The Qatari government has said that the dissident will be able to travel to Qatar after his release. “The procedure for his transfer to Qatar is ongoing,” said a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry. Then he will go to the USA.

The news comes less than two weeks after President Paul Kagame said talks were underway to jail Rusesabagina.

His supporters say his trial was a farce with irregularities. And his family warned about the deterioration of the 68-year-old man’s health.