Washington, DC – Today, the House passed H.Res.892, a resolution led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Reps. Young Kim (CA-39) and Joaquin Castro (TX-20) to urge the Biden administration to demand the release of Paul Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds and to raise his case with the Government of Rwanda.
Watch Rep. Kim’s floor remarks in support of the bill, here.
Paul Rusesabagina is a permanent U.S. resident who saved hundreds of lives during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his heroic efforts. In August 2020, Rusesabagina was charged by the Rwandan government and put on trial, being sentenced to 25 years in prison on September 20, 2021.
“Mr. Paul Rusesabagina is an American permanent resident who was abducted and held hostage by a foreign government for voicing his opposition to their regime,” said Kim. “The human rights abuses and corruption he continues to face as he also suffers through health conditions is unacceptable. I am praying for this safety and am proud that Congress could come together to urge the Biden administration to demand his immediate release and raise his case with the Rwandan government.”
“For nearly two years, the Rwandan government has imprisoned Paul Rusesabagina in a clear effort to silence his criticism of President Paul Kagame’s regime,” said Castro. “Mr. Rusesabagina is a cancer survivor in poor health, and he needs better medical care than Rwandan authorities are providing. If President Kagame and the Rwandan government want to rebuild their credibility on the international stage, they must start by sending Mr. Rusesabagina back home to his family in San Antonio.”
