Humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina officially declared 'wrongful detainee'

SAN ANTONIO – Humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina has officially been declared a “wrongful detainee” by the U.S. Department of State.

Rusesabagina is known for saving over 1,268 people during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. He was kidnapped by the Rwandan government in August 2020 and he is still detained to this day.

His heroic actions in the 1994 Rwandan genocide have earned him the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is a permanent resident in the U.S., living in San Antonio, Texas. His family has been working with the U.S. government to help Rusesabagina be released from Rwanda.

The country of Rwanda accuses Rusesabagina of being a terrorist. He has been illegally imprisoned for more than 630 days. The United Nations Group on Arbitrary Detention, along with other international government groups have all stated that his human rights have been violated and that his imprisonment was illegal under international standards.

Rusesabagina’s family hopes that his new status will lead to more pressure and action from the U.S. government. They also say that they worry for his health, and fear that he will die in jail. Rusesabagina is a 67-year-old cancer survivor. He suffers from partial facial paralysis and has not received any type of medical attention for his high blood pressure and a heart condition.