[ad_1]
Paul Rusesabagina, the polarizing hero of the hit film “Hotel Rwanda”, did not show up for his trial on Wednesday, after informing prison authorities that he was abandoning the process because he did not expect justice to be rendered.
Rusesabagina, whose actions during the 1994 Rwandan genocide inspired the film, has been charged with nine offenses, including terrorism for creating an armed group in recent years, accused of organizing deadly attacks in Rwanda.
The 66-year-old, who was living in exile in Belgium, said he was kidnapped after he was made to board a plane to Kigali when he thought he was going to Burundi.
Rwandan Justice Minister Johnston Busingye admitted in an interview with Al-Jazeera last month that the government paid for the theft.
At Wednesday’s hearing, a letter from Nyarugenge prison where Rusesabagina is being held was read, saying that he would no longer attend the trial.
“He told Nyarugenge prison that he would never appear before this court again, not just today but even for future hearings. He said he does not expect justice from this court,” said the letter, written by the director of the prison Michel Kamugisha.
Presiding Judge Antoine Muhima has ruled that the trial will continue.
“Rusesabagina has chosen not to attend this hearing. He has the right to do so, but failure to appear does not prevent the trial from continuing,” Muhima said.
During his last appearance on March 12, when the court ruled against Rusesabagina’s request for six months to prepare his defense, he said he was leaving the trial because “my fundamental rights to defend myself and to to have a fair trial were not respected “.
His family insist that he did not have access to more than 5,000 pages of documents in his file.
He is also on trial alongside 20 other terrorism accused, “who have all pleaded guilty and have incriminated him,” Hotel Rwanda Foundation spokesperson Kitty Kurth said.
“President (Paul) Kagame has publicly declared that Paul is guilty of the charges, effectively nullifying his right to the presumption of innocence.”
The flood of defendants led to chaotic scenes in the courtroom with more than 10 lawyers, each arguing for their clients, and several witnesses scheduled to appear.
Rusesabagina is credited with sheltering hundreds of Rwandans in a hotel he managed during the 1994 genocide, in which 800,000 mostly, but also moderate, Hutus were massacred.
But in the years since Hollywood made him an international celebrity, a more complex picture emerged of the staunch critic of the government, whose tirades against the Kagame regime made him an enemy of the state.
Kagame has been in power since 1994 and is accused by critics of crushing opponents and ruling out of fear.
Rusesabagina admitted to helping to form the National Liberation Front (FLN), but denied any role in his crimes.
Rwandan authorities accused the FLN of a series of deadly attacks in 2018.
Source link
