By Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti
The High Court Chamber for International and Cross-Border Crimes on Monday 20, September 2021 handed a 25-year jail sentence to Paul Rusesabagina after it found him guilty of terror related crimes.
The ruling took place in Kigali as the court ruled the verdict of 20 other co-accused.
The court found Rusesabagina guilty of being part of a terrorist group that conducted attacks in Rwanda taking lives of innocent people while wounding others and looting properties.
Rusesabagina the president of the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD) that formed FLN as its armed wing-based in eastern DR Congo.
He was considered the prime suspect and withdrew from the hearing citing lack of justice on his side.
Rusesabagina was flown to Rwanda as he thought he was heading to Burundi, a neighboring country to share testimonies in a certain churn along with his then colleague Consitantin Niwemwungeri.
Rusesabagina and his lawyers had prayed the court to release him as he was kidnapped and was of Belgian nationality so that he could be tried by the competent court from his country.
The court also sentenced Callixte Nsabimana, also known as Sankara for 20 years for 20 years for similar charges.
Nsabimana served as a spokesperson of the FLN Army wing and was heard on various media outlets including international ones claiming attacks and the plan to plot the established government of Rwanda.
