Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero of the Hollywood movie “Hotel Rwanda,” has been re

Late on Friday, US officials announced that Paul Rusesabagina, the protagonist of the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda, who had been serving a 25-year prison sentence on “terrorism” charges in Rwanda, had been released from prison after his sentence was commuted by presidential order.

Accompanied by a United States embassy official, Rusesabagina was transferred from prison to the residence of Qatar’s ambassador in Kigali, according to two senior officials of US President Joe Biden’s administration who briefed reporters in Washington, DC. The Rwandan government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, stated that the decision to commute Rusesabagina’s sentence followed his request for clemency.

However, Makolo emphasized that the commutation did not nullify the underlying conviction, and serious crimes had been committed for which he had been convicted. Rusesabagina is expected to be transferred to Qatar’s capital Doha and then to the US since he has permanent residency rights in the US. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement welcoming the release and thanked the Rwandan government and Qatar for their assistance. The US officials denied any promises were made to Kigali beyond public recognition of their move.