WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON – The Rwanda National Congress (RNC) has condemned the arrest of popular Rwandan activist Paul Rusesabagina by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau.
According to Dr Etienne Mutabazi, the Spokesperson RNC, Rusesabagina was not accorded due judicial process by being subjected to an extradition hearing as provided for in international law.
“It is deeply disappointing that through bribery or manipulation, some states allow their territory to be used against international laws and national sovereignty as hunting grounds for a murderous regime,” he said in a statement.
Mutabazi noted that the circumstances by which Mr. Rusesabagina found himself in Kigali were not mentioned transparently in the conference because the government of Rwanda knew perfectly well, that the process was illegal and illegitimate.
“No country has broadly conceded that it arrested and handed over Mr. Rusesabagina to the Rwandan authorities. This is a clear indication that whatever happened was illegal and nobody wants to take responsibility for blatant illegal action. This is the kind dealing conducted by a Mafia state ‘trading’ human beings under the cover of darkness,” said Mutabazi.
He added: “Some governments are still blinded or compromised or ashamed by the failure to intervene during the 1994 Rwandan genocide and have given a “blank cheque” the government of Rwanda to violate human rights of its citizens. As a result, the government has been emboldened to hunt for critics abroad with reckless abandon under the guise of hunting genocide revisionists or fabricated ‘terrorist.”
Dr Mutabazi further reminded those countries who have been protecting the government of Rwanda against any
human rights accountability that the 1994 Rwandan genocide was partly as a result of a lack of accountability for human rights violations.
“The people of Rwanda are deeply disappointed by the hypocrisy and double standards in dealing with the government of Rwanda and President Paul Kagame in particular who publically claim credit for abducting and assassinating citizens,” reads an excerpt.
He said that the kidnapping and parading of Rusesabagina will not deter the oppressed people of Rwanda from fighting for their liberty and freedom.
He implored the international community to support the opposition parties in demanding for the release of Rusesabagina.
“The Rwandan Government should open political space for all opposition parties, release all prisoners of conscious, ” reads the statement in part.
Mutabazi further called for dialogue between the Rwandan Government and the opposition parties as way of facilitating peaceful and democratic dispensation.
Rusesabagina became famous as a chosen character in the “Hotel Rwanda” movie in which he featured as a person who saved Tutsi whom he protected against Interahamwe militias during the 1994 Rwandan genocide in Mille Collines, which he was managing.
Rusesabagina, like many other oppressed Rwandans started PDR- Ihumure movement to challenge the dictatorial regime in Kigali.
He later joined forces with other people with the same vision to form the MRCD movement.
