CHICAGO - May 24, 2021 - While there is no formal Dictator's School, the world has seen that it emboldens the other bad actors if one dictator is allowed to get away with bad behavior. When Rwanda's Paul Kagame was allowed to kidnap a humanitarian from the United States and bring him to Kigali for a sham trial, it set a bad example. When the international community remained silent and did not demand the immediate release of the humanitarian, Paul Rusesabagina, it set an even worse precedent.
"The Kagame government has readily admitted that they chartered and paid for the GainJet airplane used to kidnap Hotel Rwanda humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, the man who saved the lives of 1,268 people during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The international community did not express outrage, did not demand his immediate return to the United States, where he is a legal permanent resident, or to Belgium, where he is a citizen. This lack of action demonstrated to dictators all over the world shows that no one really cares about human rights over their desire to placate Paul Kagame," said Carine Kanimba, daughter of Paul Rusesabagina.
"To make matters worse, in Paul Rusesabagina's situation, the company that transported him and whose employees were in league with the kidnapping plot, witnessed his torture, and has been allowed to get off without consequences, said Anaise Kanimba, daughter of Paul Rusesabagina. "There have been no legal consequences for the kidnapping or torture against GainJet by either Greece or the EU. This sends a bad signal not only to GainJet but also to dictators the world over."
We can only hope that the European community and the international community will rain down hard on Lukashenko and demand the immediate release of Roman Protasevich. But, they need to take responsibility for the fact that their lack of action toward Kagame and GainJet has made it more palatable for states to use private aircraft in their kidnapping of political dissidents.
#FreeRusesabagina
Website: www.hrrfoundation.com
Twitter: @freethehero
Facebook: @FreePaulRusesabagina
Instagram: #FreeRusesabagina
TikTok: #FreeRusesabagina
Contact
Kitty Kurth
