International
Rusesabagina trial exposed west's double standards
It
is astonishing how quickly state actors, human rights organisations, the global
north media rallied behind Paul Rusesabagina after he was sentenced to 25 years
in prison for terrorism on September 20.
Despite
the fact the trial took place in public, and was done with due diligence, those
groups immediately cried foul add painted the process as a sham trial, citing
baseless allegations.
The
most vocal critic of the trial and conviction of Rusesabagina is maybe Sophie
Wilmes, Belgian deputy PM and Foreign Minister who castigated the entire
process. She declared that Rusesabagina
did get a fair trial especially regarding the rights to defence.
She
referred to the refusal by the High Court to accept Rusesabagina’s foreign
lawyers like Belgian Vincent Lurquin to represent him during the trial. On this
point, the Rwanda’s bar association regulations are clear. For a foreigner to
operate in Rwanda as a barrister, there must be an agreement between his bar
association and the Rwandan one. As Wilmes knows, there is no such cooperation
between Rwanda and Belgium.
That
is why an adventurer called Luquin who came to Rwanda to represent Rusesabagina
was kicked out of the country. In addition to Wilmes, the other critical voices
came from the US State Department, and Senator Marco Rubio. Their condescending
attitude incensed Rwandans.
But
most difficult to understand is how the global north media also jumped onto the
bandwagon and portrayed Rusesabagina as a victim of his success as a Hollywood
hero who saved over 1,200 refugees at the Hotel des Mille Collines and a fierce
critic of President Paul Kagame.
This
is the same unfounded claim made by Human Rights Watch’s Lewis Mudge, and
Amnesty International. In a statement by HRW released on the day of the
verdict, Mudge writes: “Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina convicted in flawed trial”
and added: “But process and fair trail violations undermine verdict.”
The
Washington Post, The New York Times, the BBC, Channel 4 News, and several
others echoed these frivolous allegations. What is shocking is the sheer lack
of empathy to the victims of the terrorist attacks by Rusesabagina’s militias
which he bragged about in interviews with international media outlets like VOA
and BBC Kinyarwanda-Kirundi Service (Gahuzamiryango).
It
is as if the celebrity status of Rusesabagina takes precedence over any crimes he
committed and the lost lives of innocent Rwandans do not count. There is no single mention of these victims
and the lasting scars on the survivors left by those deadly attacks.
In
the words of Dr Phil Clark, lecturer of Politics at SOAS University, London,
“most of the human rights orgs & commentators lambasting the #Rusesabagina
verdict are suddenly quiet on the transnational financing of crimes. Any
reaction to the evidence of his financing of FLN, discovered through
investigative cooperation in Rwanda, US, Belgium & Germany.”
What
is clear is that Rusesabagina and his backers are not really interested in
justice. All they want is their
Hollywood hero absolved of any crimes. Despite ample evidence against
Rusesabagina, and his own pronouncements, the global north media repeated the
denials and lies from Rusesabagina’s family, especially her adoptive daughter
Carine Kanimba and Western lawyers.
Evidence
obtained from FBI, the Belgian Prosecution, and testimonies from his 20
co-accused pin Rusesabagina on being the mastermind of terrorist activities
which he openly bragged about in interviews with international media.
Dr
Clark tweeted: “Most of the human rights orgs & commentators lambasting the
#Rusesabigina verdict are suddenly very quiet on the transnational financing of
crimes. Any reaction to the evidence of his financing of FLN, discovered
through investigative cooperation in Rwanda, US, Belgium & Germany.” What
is incensing is also how quickly most Western media outlets joined the
bandwagon and criticised the verdict.
At
the same time, they also depicted Rusesabagina as humanitarian who saved over
1,200 refugees at his hotel during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. They
allege that his only crime was being a dissident, a vocal critic of President
Paul Kagame.
Similarly,
most Western media started dancing on the same tune, depicting Rusesabagina as
“a prisoner of conscience.” However, Rwandans have been outraged by this
arrogance and callousness of Rusesabagina’s backers. For Olivier Mushimire, saving
lives in 1994, even if it were true, cannot excuse Rusesabagina for the crimes
committed by his armed militias.
The
same way being a genocide survivor couldn’t be defence for Nsabimana Callixte
against charges of genocide denial and minimising the genocide against the
Tutsi. Rwandans will not take it. Rwandan lives matter.