CHICAGO – Sep. 13, 2020 – On August 28, 2020, Paul Rusesabagina, the humanitarian famous for saving 1,268 Rwandans during the 1994 genocide, whose true story was told in the film Hotel Rwanda, was the victim of an abduction, disappearance, and extraordinary rendition from Dubai, UAE to Kigali, Rwanda.
There is strong and credible public evidence that Paul Rusesabagina was carried on Bombadier Challenger 605, Tail Number SX-FSA from Dubai to Kigali, leaving at 12:55 am and landing at 4:50 am in the Rwandan capital.
Additionally, there are reports from the Kigali Airport that Rusesabagina was taken off the plane in Kigali on a stretcher.
GainJet has previously run charters carrying Rwanda President Paul Kagame and his family members. The Africa base of GainJet’s operations is in Rwanda.
All contact with Mr. Rusesabagina’s family on mobile devices was cut off for many hours before the trip. He was held incommunicado for almost 13 days in the custody of the Government of Rwanda. He has had two supervised calls with his family.
Paul Rusesabagina would have never voluntarily traveled to Rwanda. President Paul Kagame has labeled him a “false hero,” referred to him as a terrorist, made an attempt on his life, has regularly harrassed him for over 20 years, and will now pepper Rusesabagina with an array of false terrorism-related charges.
Importantly, the Government of Rwanda claimed that this was an extradition carried out with international cooperation. This is demonstrably false. Not only did the Government of the UAE deny this claim, but it accurately observed there is no bilateral or multilateral extradition treaty by which Rwanda could ever secure the extradition of someone from the UAE, in accordance with UAE law. This was clearly an extraordinary rendition carried out in flagrant violation of international law.
Rusesabagina’s legal team asked GainJet for a copy of the invoice and payment records of the person(s) who chartered that flight and who paid for the flight. GainJet has not responded.
There are more questions that need to be asked and more information that needs to be provided. If GainJet does not provide the information, they will be complicit with the illegal kidnapping and arrest of Paul Rusesabagina and the extraordinary rendition of Rusesabagina from Dubai to Kigali.
In addition to the questions of who chartered and paid for the plane there are more:
• Where is the video tape of Rusesabagina boarding the private aircraft in UAE? If he walked on let’s see it. If not, let’s see it.
• Where is the plane manifest? Let’s see it.
• Where is the video of footage of him arriving in Kigali? If he was on a stretcher, why? If not, show us the video footage?
• Who chartered the plane?
• Who paid for the plane?
•Where is Paul’s photo? Why didn’t they take a photo of Paul?
Rwanda has a typical practice of publishing photos of international detainees arriving in Kigali Airport in the press – they take almost the exact same photo every time:
Bandora – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/63868
Mugesera – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/38888
Uwinkindi – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/51868
Munyagishari – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/67749
Bandora – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/63868
Mugesera – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/38888
Uwinkindi – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/51868
Munyagishari – https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/67749
GainJet is at the heart of an international incident. They need to provide the facts behind the kidnapping.
The media needs to demand that GainJet, UAE officials and the Dubai airport along with the Kigali Airport provides this information immediately.
If the information from GainJet is not provided in short order, legal action will be taken to report that GainJet failed to deny its involvement in this extraordinary rendition or provide any information about the flight in question.
Complaints will be lodged with authorities in the countries where GainJet operates and has flown requesting they investigate these allegations and, if proven, blacklist GainJet airline from traveling there.
Contacts for GainJet, according to their website (http://www.gainjet.com/gainjet-team/) are:
Capt. Ramsey Sahban Ceo & President
ramsey@gainjet.com
Ali Malek, Charter Sales Manager
ali@gainjet.com
Sofia Kontou, Head of Accounts
sofia@gainjet.com
Simon Roussos, Accountable Manager
simon@gainjet.com
Capt. Evangelos Lykoudis
fom@gainjet.com
#FreeRusesabagina
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