A Rwandan appeals court docket on Monday upheld a 25-year prison sentence for Paul Rusesabagina, who was once portrayed within the film “Resort Rwanda” sheltering loads of other folks right through the 1994 genocide, rejecting a bid to increase it to existence in jail.
Rusesabagina, 67, was once convicted in September on 8 terrorism fees associated with the actions of an organisation adversarial to President Paul Kagame’s rule, and is being held in a Rwandan jail.
He has denied the entire fees and refused to participate within the trial, which he and his supporters denounced as a politically motivated sham. He was once now not in court docket in Kigali on Monday to listen to the verdict from pass judgement on Emmanuel Kamere, who stated there was once no reason why to increase his sentence.
“The 25-year sentence is the same as the severity of the crime he dedicated,” Kamere stated.
Rusesabagina has stated having a management function within the Rwanda Motion for Democratic Alternate (MRCD), however denied accountability for assaults performed by way of its armed wing, the Nationwide Liberation Entrance (FLN).
The trial judges stated the 2 teams had been indistinguishable.
Prosecutors in February known as the present sentence too lenient, given the gravity of the costs and the affect of the alleged crimes. His attorneys stated they might seek the advice of prior to responding to the appeals court docket ruling.
“The trial must have by no means took place within the first position. My father was once abducted and tortured. The whole lot that took place afterwards is theatre,” Rusesabagina’s daughter, Carine Kanimba, informed Reuters.
A central authority spokeswoman was once now not straight away to be had to remark, however Rwanda has firmly disregarded such allegations previously.
Rusesabagina’s primary co-accused Callixte Nsabimana, sometimes called Sankara, had his sentence decreased from two decades to fifteen years for his cooperation with government.