'Hotel Rwanda' hero Paul Rusesabagina sues over arrest

Rwandan hotelier Paul Rusesabagina who shot to fame after the 2004 film "Hotel Rwanda" sued a Greek air charter company in the United States for helping Rwandan agents kidnap him, which led to his arrest.

The outspoken Rwandan government critic has been detained since August after he boarded a flight from the US for what he believed was a speaking event in Burundi.

But he was flown to Rwanda, where he was arrested on arrival in Kigali.

On Monday, he sued the Greek air charter company GainJet Aviation for helping Rwandan agents kidnap him. He also sued Constantin Niyomwungere, a Rwandan secret service agent who double-crossed Rusesabagina into the Burundi event, of conspiring with GainJet and of violating American anti-terrorism and terror-victims’ rights laws.

Rusesabagina saved over 1,200 Tutsis by hiding them in his hotel during the 1994 genocide. He received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honour.

Terrorism charges

He has repeatedly slammed Rwanda's leadership for political repression and extensive human-rights abuses.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame announced the former hotelier will be tried on nine terrorism-related charges alongside Rwandan rebels.

Rusesabagina says he has never aided terrorists and only assisted diplomatic and humanitarian interests.

Kagame maintains Rwanda did nothing wrong in his arrest.

Rusesabagina’s family has lived in Texas for several years after fleeing Belgium, where Rusesabagina holds citizenship.

His family and layers have denounced the conditions of his arrest and said they would file a complaint in Belgium.