(CNN) Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the Hollywood film “Hotel Rwanda,” was released from a Rwandan prison after his prison sentence was commuted on Friday by the country’s President Paul Kagame.
Senior US administration officials told reporters on Friday that Rusesabagina, who is a legal permanent resident of the US, was transferred to the Qatari ambassador’s residence in Kigali.
“He will spend a limited time hosted by the Qataris,” possibly a few days, an official said, and then travel to Doha and on to the United States.
Rusesabagina, an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame, is best known for rescuing hundreds of Rwandans during the country’s genocide by sheltering them in the hotel he managed.
Rwandan authorities arrested him while he was traveling internationally in 2020 in what his family said was a kidnapping.
Rusesabagina was found guilty of terrorism-related charges in September 2021 and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The commutation of his sentence comes after he asked Kagame for forgiveness in a letter in October 2022.
“Commutation of sentence does not extinguish the underlying conviction,” said government spokesperson Yolande Makolo last Friday.
Rusesabagina was indicted by the Supreme Court of Rwanda in February 2021.
Rusesabagina, who is a dual Rwandan and Belgian citizen, is scheduled to be released along with 19 other people convicted alongside him, Makolo told CNN.
“Rwanda notes the constructive role of the US government in creating conditions for dialogue on this issue, as well as the facilitation provided by the State of Qatar,” he added.
In a statement on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Rusesabagina’s release.
“It is a relief to know that Paul is reunited with his family, and the US Government is grateful to the Rwandan Government for making this reunion possible. We also thank the Government of Qatar for their invaluable assistance that will enable Paul to return to the United States “said Blinken.
A spokesman for his family said they were “delighted to hear the news of Paul’s release.”
“The family hopes to be reunited with him soon,” a spokesperson told CNN on Friday.
In his trial in 2021, Rusesabagina was found guilty of being part of a terrorist group called MRCD-FLN. Two attacks in 2018 in which nine people died were a particular focus, according to a government statement.
However, the Clooney Foundation for Justice described the verdict as a “show trial,” and claimed that Rusesabagina’s conviction did not have sufficient guarantees of fairness “required by international and African standards.”
He was designated as wrongfully imprisoned by the US government.
Blinken’s trip to Rwanda ‘plays an important role’
One of the senior US officials said that “there was no particular concession made to us as a government here” that led to Rusesabagina’s release.
Instead, there were “a series of steps taken involving the Rwandan government, the US government and of course Paul himself,” the official said.
“It took months to reach the sequence in a way that everyone involved agreed to,” they said.
Several US officials said Blinken’s trip to Rwanda “played a significant role” in the eventual resolution of Rusesabagina’s case.
In his dealings with Kagame he “discussed Paul’s case at length,” a US official said, and “they talked a lot about the road map to Paul’s eventual release.”
“The State Department through SPEHA (the President’s Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs), and other interagency members have been working to keep this on track since the Secretary’s visit,” the US official said.
The first senior official also said that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan “is taking a personal hand in trying to forge a way forward on this issue.”
“In particular, he started quiet diplomacy with a close adviser to the President,” by phone and in person, the official said.
“Through these discussions, the parameters of a mutually acceptable arrangement have emerged that Rwandans will move towards the release of Paul and equally, the US government will show how we welcome these developments , as we continue to do,” said the official.
A ‘irritant’ in US-Rwanda relations
The first senior official and a congressional aide familiar with the case said that Rusesabagina’s imprisonment had become “irritating” to US-Rwandan relations, and congressional interlocutors tried to explain to Rwandan officials in Washington, DC and Kigali that an “irritant” will not go away until it is resolved.
The Rwandan government wants the US to acknowledge that a legal process took place and that process resulted in the conviction of Rusesabagina, the aide said.
The resolution came closer when the conversations moved away from a discussion of guilt or innocence and more towards trying to resolve the issue – a strategy described in a letter Rusesabagina wrote to Kagame in October 2022 to apologize, the congressional aide said. “much discussed.”
In that letter — released by the Ministry of Justice Friday — Rusesabagina said he wanted to express “regret for any connection (to his) work with the MRCD that may have violent actions carried out by the FLN.”
“As a former head of the MRCD, I regret not being careful to ensure that the MRCD coalition fully adheres to the principles of non-violence in which I fully and deeply believe, and have always introduced,” Rusesabagina wrote.
“If I am granted a pardon and released, I fully understand that I will spend the rest of my days in the United States in quiet contemplation,” he continued. “I can assure you through this letter that I have no personal or political ambitions otherwise. I will leave questions about Rwandan politics behind me.”
The publication of this letter expressing remorse, and the fact that Rwanda commuted his sentence, instead of pardoning him, allowed the Rwandan government to stand by their assertion of Rusesabagina’s guilt.
“They kept explaining that he was a convicted terrorist,” the aide said.
The aide also said there is a lot of congressional pressure on the Rwandan government and the Biden administration on the matter, which is a complication. Rusesabagina is a legal permanent resident of the US but not a citizen, and he was not charged with wrongful imprisonment until last year.
A second US administration official said that “there has been some constructive participation by congressional members and staff to encourage both parties to use the existing clemency process as part of Rwandan law to help resolve the tensions between Paul and the Rwandan government.”
American lawmakers invested in the case on Friday welcomed news of Rusesabagina’s reduced sentence and expected release.
“Paul Rusesabagina is a hero, and his unjust imprisonment is a stain on Rwanda’s progress towards a peaceful and stable future. With his family, friends, and supporters around the world , I am very happy to hear the news of his upcoming release and to see his safe return,” said Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro in a statement.
“I commend the US and Rwandan officials for working together to release Mr. Rusesabagina and resolve the issues surrounding his case, including those related to justice and political violence,” said Republican Sen. Jim Risch. “I look forward to seeing Mr. Rusesabagina return to his family, and encourage the US and Rwandan governments to continue working to improve our bilateral relationship.”
The aide downplayed Qatar’s role in securing the commutation, saying there may have been talks between Rwandan and Qatari officials but saying they had “no impact” on the case.
