The process of transferring terror convict Paul Rusesabagina to the State of Qatar is underway, a Qatari official has announced. In a Twitter thread posted on Friday, March 24, the Advisor to the Qatar Minister of Foreign Affairs and Spokesperson Majed Mohammad Hassan Abdullah Al-Ansari, said that upon arrival in the Gulf nation, Rusesabagina will then proceed to the United States. The development also follows back-to-back negotiations that are believed to have involved Rwanda, Qatar and the United States. Rusesabagina is expected to be be released on presidential clemency together with Callixte Nsabimana who calls himself Sankara, and other convicts who were enjoined in a widely-publicized trial linked to FLN, a terror group that was founded by Rusesabagina. “We confirm the official Rwandan statements that Mr. Paul Rusesabagina’s sentence will be commuted and he will be released in accordance with a presidential decree. The procedure for his transfer to the State of Qatar is under way; and he will then head to the USA,” Al-Ansari said in a tweet. “This issue was discussed during meetings that brought together Qatari and Rwandan officials at the highest levels in the context of bridging views.” Rusesabagina engineered the establishment of an outfit called MRCD, which has political oversight of the FLN terror group that operates in the east of DR Congo, and is responsible for a series of terror attacks on Rwandan territory. The attacks took place in south-western Rwanda, within and around Nyungwe forest. At least nine people were killed, while others were left injured and property looted or destroyed. Al-Ansari also said in his twitter thread that: “The State of Qatar has been able to play the role of a neutral mediator in many files and issues, which has made it a reliable international partner in resolving disputes through peaceful and diplomatic means and bringing the views of the various parties closer together.” “The State of Qatar appreciates the cooperation of the Government of the Republic of Rwanda, reflected in Paul Rusesabagina’s early release,” he added. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Justice shedding light to the commutation of the prison sentences of Paul Rusesabagina, Callixte Nsabimana alias Sankara and others, the ministry indicated that penalties imposed by the Court, such as compensation owed to victims will remain in force. ALSO READ: Rusesabagina, Sankara to be released on presidential pardon Rusesabagina and Nsabimana were key leaders of the FLN, a terror group responsible for a series of attacks in southwestern Rwanda, where at least nine people were killed, others injured, and property looted. They are expected to be released starting Saturday, March 25. “Under Rwandan law, commutation of a sentence does not extinguish the underlying conviction. If any individual benefitting from early release repeats offenses of a similar nature, the commutation can be revoked and the remainder of the prison sentence will be served, in accordance with the conditions specified in the Presidential Order,” the statement reads in part. A ruling by the Court of Appeal averred that the convicts would jointly pay Rwf412 million in reparations to the survivors and families of the victims of FLN acts of terror. ALSO READ: Profiles of victims of MRCD-FLN attacks Rusesabagina, who was arrested in August 2020, was sentenced to 25 years by the High Court’s Chamber for International and Cross-Border Crimes, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal. The Statement from the Ministry adds in part that: “Other penalties imposed by the Court, such as compensation owed to victims, are not affected by this commutation and thus remain in force. The FLN assailants also attacked another bus, owned by Omega Express that was bound for Rusizi, from Kigali. The two buses were set on fire. Nine people were killed on spot, and one died of injuries, later. ALSO READ: Rusesabagina’s 25-year jail term upheld, Nsabimana reduced to 15 The Nyungwe incident in Nyamagabe District was one of the attacks by the FLN, which also targeted Nyabimata in Nyaruguru District, Rusizi District. Meanwhile, the statement also indicated that three other people, Ronaldo Bill Rutayisire, Justin Nsengiyumva, and Ephraim Rwamwenge were also granted presidential pardon. Their cases were not related to Rusesabagina. The President also exercised his prerogative of mercy to release from prison 358 individuals convicted of various offenses.
