Rusesabagina, 67, was sentenced final September to 25 years in jail over eight terrorism prices tied to a corporation against Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s rule. He has denied all the fees and refused to participate within the trial that he and his supporters have known as a political sham.
“The willpower took under consideration the totality of the circumstances, notably the dearth of honest trial ensures throughout his trial. This willpower doesn’t suggest any place on his innocence or guilt,” a State Department spokesperson mentioned.
Rusesabagina, who was feted around the globe after being portrayed by actor Don Cheadle in 2004’s “Hotel Rwanda,” is a vocal critic of Kagame. He is being held in a Rwandan jail.
He has acknowledged having a management function within the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), however denied accountability for assaults carried out by its armed wing, the National Liberation Front (FLN). The trial judges mentioned the 2 teams had been indistinguishable.
The “wrongfully detained” designation means the accountability for the case will now be transferred from the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to the workplace of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, successfully elevating the difficulty’s political profile.
Under 2020 laws handed by Congress, there are standards outlined in 11 factors, based mostly on which the Secretary of State could make the designation of wrongfully detained.
Among these are the circumstances of people who’re being detained solely or considerably as a result of they’re an American citizen or with the aim of influencing U.S. authorities coverage.