Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed as a hero in the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda, has arrived in Qatar after being released from a Rwandan prison.
According to a White House official, Mr. Rusesabagina left Rwanda on Monday and arrived in Doha, Qatar.
According to reports, US National Security Council co-ordinator John Kirby said, “I can confirm that Paul Rusesabagina has left Rwanda and is currently in Doha.”
“He will soon be returning to the United States. And, as I’m sure no one is surprised, his family is eager to welcome him back home.”
Qatar-mediated talks resulted in his release from prison over the weekend, two years after he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for terrorism. The trial, according to his supporters, was a sham.
According to a government spokesperson, the sentence was commuted by presidential order. It came after years of diplomatic pressure from the United States, where Mr. Rusesabagina had lived since 2009.
Mr. Rusesabagina is credited with saving approximately 1,200 people during Rwanda’s genocide in 1994.
