 |
| "I am not Rwandan, I am a Belgian hostage. I was kidnapped," Mr Rusesabagina said at the start of the trial. (Photo by=Reuters) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] Rwanda’s high court rejected a request by the man portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood film about the Rwandan genocide to move his trial on terrorism charges to Belgium. BBC reported that Paul Rusesabagina had said at the opening of the trial earlier this month that he’s being held illegally as he’s Belgian, and no longer holds Rwandan nationality.
But the court in the capital, Kigali, has ruled that Mr. Rusesabagina did not legally renounce his Rwandan nationality, it does not view him as a “Belgian hostage” and so the trial should continue. Mr. Rusesabagina became famous after Don Cheadle played him in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, which depicts his efforts to save hundreds of people from being murdered during the 1994 genocide.
He left Rwanda in 1996 and sought asylum in Belgium. He later obtained a U.S. green card and became involved in opposition politics in exile. The 66-year-old was detained in unclear circumstances in Dubai last August. He says he’s illegally abducted and flown to Rwanda. The authorities say he’s arrested under an international warrant. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch, the EU Parliament and a group of US senators have all condemned Mr Rusesabagina’s arrest and rendition. On Thursday, the US State Department said it’s engaged in “high-level” talks about the case with the Rwandan government.
