We need you to get Congress to do more to bring Paul home
We can’t do this without you. Will you call your member of the House of Representatives? We need all hands on deck for “Calling on the Government of the Republic of Rwanda to release Paul Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds.” This House Resolution highlights Paul Rusesabagina’s detention and trial, his medical history, and calls on the Government of Rwanda to release him on humanitarian grounds. H. Res 892 was reported out of the Foreign Affairs Committee in a voice vote on February 8th.
Click here to reach out to your Congressperson.
Rusesabagina, a 67-year-old cancer survivor who suffers from a cardiovascular disorder, saved thousands of people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. His experience was depicted in the 2004 movie ‘Hotel Rwanda,’ where he was portrayed by Don Cheadle. President George W. Bush presented him with the United States’ highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2005.
In August 2020, Rusesabagina was extrajudicially transferred to Kigali by the Rwandan government and put on trial. Following this trial, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison on September 20, 2021. In response to the trial and verdict, the Department of State issued a statement raising concerns over the “reported lack of fair trial guarantees” that call “into question the fairness of the verdict.” His family and supporters are working tirelessly to secure his release and safe return to the United States.
In October 2021, the European Parliament, with a nearly unanimous vote of 660-2, adopted a similar resolution calling for the release of Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds.
In May 2022, the Department of State announced their determination that Rusesabagina was “wrongfully detained.”