Abducted: Paul Rusesabagina, the man who was nicknamed the "Rwandan Schindler” While the international community stood by in the face of the atrocities that took place in Rwanda, one hotel manager took advantage of his elite ties and saved 1,200 men and women from genocide.  Hotel Manager, Paul Rusesabagina, has won international acclaim, including the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a famous film dedicated in his honor.

He was a hero, and people referred to him as “Rwanda's Schindler", whose story was reminiscent of that of the German industrialist who saved more than a thousand Jews in the Holocaust.

 But within Rwanda, at least in its current government, the attitude towards him was completely different from its image in the West. For many years, the government led by President Paul Kagame, who has been leading the Central African country since the 1994 genocide, has been pursuing him. Rusesabagina has lived in the United States for the past few years, and also has Belgian citizenship, but he is afraid to return to his homeland due to the criticism from the current regime. Rusesabagina’s apprehension was justified. This week he was apparently abducted during his visit to Dubai. His family fears he will not get a fair trial, and is asking the world to intervene. Dubai, which will soon start accepting Israeli tourists, is not a particularly safe place for regime opponents. 
 His family hopes the international community will convince Rwanda to release him, but reactions in the West, if any, have been subdued since the news of his arrest. Belgium-where he previously lived, and the United States, have not yet responded to the affair.

 Rusesabagina’s daughter released a statement saying: “He did nothing wrong, he is a political prisoner….he should not be imprisoned in Rwanda. He is a Belgian citizen now…We call on the international community to intervene for the sake of those who have dedicated their lives to peace, justice and human rights." Source: Walla News