Calling on the Government of the Republic of Rwanda to Release Paul Rusesabagina on Humanitarian Grounds

Floor Speech

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Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 892, calling on the Government of the Republic of Rwanda to release Paul Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds.

Paul is a hero of the Rwandan genocide and a permanent resident of San Antonio, Texas, my hometown where his family also lives today.

Last year, a Rwandan court sentenced Paul to 25 years in prison on politically motivated charges. Paul is 68 years old, and for him that is a life sentence.

Congresswoman Young Kim and I have been closely following his case for several years, and we were proud to introduce H. Res. 892 in February of this year.

Paul's story begins in Rwanda, the country of his birth. Nearly three decades ago, he was serving as assistant general manager of a luxury hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, when the Rwandan genocide began.

The genocide, which led to the deaths of an estimated 800,000 people over a 3-month period, targeted mostly members of the ethnic Tutsi minority. Paul is a member of the Hutu majority, but he was determined not to see his Tutsi countrymen die on his watch.

As genocidal killing squads roamed through Rwanda, Paul sheltered more than 1,200 people in his hotel, saving their lives.

In the aftermath of the genocide, Paul and his family received asylum in Belgium and later moved to San Antonio with the help of the late Texas Senator Bob Krueger, an international leader in the fight against genocide. In 2005, President George W. Bush presented Paul with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our Nation's highest civilian honor.

Since the 1994 genocide, the Government of Rwanda has made tremendous strides in economic development and stability. However, the country's government is still plagued by corruption, abuse of power, and human rights issues that amount to violations of international law--including enforced disappearances.

At home and abroad Paul Rusesabagina has used his voice and elevated platform to call attention to the need for change in Rwanda. In response, the Rwandan Government launched an extraordinary campaign of persecution against him.

In August 2020, Paul was extrajudicially transferred from Texas to Rwanda by way of the United Arab Emirates and arrested on trumped-up charges.

The Rwandan Government did not acknowledge his detention for 3 days, during which he was reportedly subject to torture. In September 2021, Paul was found guilty and sentenced in a trial that the European Union described as ``marred by numerous violations of his fair trial rights.''

He is a cancer survivor who lives with serious cardiovascular issues, and Rwandan authorities have not provided him with the care he needs in prison.

I have my children here on the floor with me, and my heart breaks for Paul's family who can only speak to him once a week for 5 minutes. It is long past time for Rwanda to release Paul and allow him to come home to San Antonio.

My colleagues and I on both sides of the aisle have raised our concerns previously. In December 2020, we sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Rwandan President Paul Kagame urging him to release Paul on humanitarian grounds. We spoke out about the way Paul was taken against his will to Rwanda, which for all intents and purposes was a kidnapping by the Kagame regime.

In June 2021, my colleagues and I wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to use all diplomatic means at his disposal to ensure Paul's safe return to the United States.

We are not the only ones who are concerned.

Last year, the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights issued a report that found Paul's right to confidential communication, his right to the presumption of innocence, and his right to prepare his defense have all been violated.

In October 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution denouncing Paul's illegal arrest. The resolution strongly condemns the conviction, which it said was ``exemplary of the human rights violations in Rwanda.''

Paul is a permanent resident of the United States, and we must work just as hard as our European allies to bring him home.

In May, the State Department announced its determination that Paul was ``wrongfully detained,'' noting that ``The determination took into account the totality of the circumstances, notably the lack of fair trial guarantees during his trial.''

I appreciate the support of the State Department, which has been working with Paul's family and the Congress on this issue. I am especially pleased that Paul's case is now under the purview of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Ambassador Roger Carstens.

Rwanda's President Kagame wants to be seen as a global leader and a reliable partner to the United States, including on issues including climate change. But Paul's unlawful detention is a blight on Rwanda's international reputation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to support this resolution.

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