JUST IN: Court Sentences Hotel Rwanda Actor To 25 Years In Jail For Financing Terrorism

‘Hotel Rwanda’ actor, Paul Rusesabagina, has been sentenced to 25 years in jail over terrorism charges.

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that the Special High Chamber of Cross Border and International Crimes in Rwanda had convicted Paul Rusesabagina and 20 others of terrorism acts which allegedly resulted in the murder of 9 persons in 2018.

Justice Beatrice Mukamurenzi ruled that “He founded a terrorist organisation that attacked Rwanda, he financially contributed to terrorist activities.”

Rusesabagina was a major character in ‘Hotel Rwanda’ – a movie that depicts the genocide that swept the country in 1994.

Rwanda prosecution had sought a life sentence against him as well as two decades jail term for the co-accused.

But the court said he would spend 25 years being a first time offender.

The prosecutor had claimed that he supported an armed opposition group known as the National Liberation Front(FLN) from exile.

State media reported that the prosecutor alleged that there were evidence of social media communication between Rusesabagina and the National Liberation Front in the country.

The country’s government linked the 2018 attacks to the FLN but Rusesabagina and his family had denied the allegations describing it as a “false flag operations of the Rwandan government”.

On Monday, judge Beatrice Mukamurenzi held that the prosecution proved its case against the accused.

“They should be found guilty for being part of this terror group – MRCD-FLN. They attacked people in their homes, or even in their cars on the road traveling,” Mukamurenzi said according to Reuters.

Rusesabagina was arrested in Dubai in 2020 and was extradited to face trial in his country.