Paul Rusesabagina has boarded a plane in Qatar bound for Houston in the United States. The man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda was released from prison in Rwanda last week.
He is a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame and was lured to Kigali in 2019 and got arrested.
Rusesabagina has been released after Kagame commuted his sentence after months of negotiations between Washington and Kigali. Rwanda says it has decided to release Rusesabagina as they seek to reset the US-Rwanda relationship,
He was showered with love around the world after being played by actor Don Cheadle in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda.
It potrayed him as a hero who risked his life to shelter hundreds of people as a manager of a luxury hotel during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
During his trial Rusesabagina acknowledged having a leadership role in an opposition group but denied responsibility for attacks carried out in Rwanda.
