Rusesabagina Emmanuel was not present in court during the sentencing.
Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina and 20 National Liberation Front (FLN) suspects who were last September separately charged with terror crimes will reappear in court following the prosecution appealing the then court verdict.
On March 12, Rusesabagina decided to pull out of the infamous FLN terror trial in which he was co- accused along 20 others for terror-related crimes committed on Rwandan soil between 2018 and 2019, leaving at least 9 people killed, scores injured while others were kidnapped and several property damaged.
Following the withdrawal of Rusesabagina, court continued with the trial and subsequent charging of FLN suspects including its former spokesperson, Callixte Nsabimana, alias Sankara, who faced up to 16 charges as one of the leaders of the military outfit which attacked South Western Rwanda.
After a long and controversial case hearing, on September 20, 2021 Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25-years in jail while Nsabimana got 20, and the other suspects were sentenced from 5 year to 10 and 20 years in jail.
This verdict was highly received by survivors and families of victims of FLN attacks but the case remained open for appeal on both sides.
The appeal case filed by prosecution is expected to be heard in court this Monday 17, 2022 at the Supreme Court premises in Kimihurura, Kigali city.
