His story was told in the Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda and he has received numerous awards for his bravery and humanitarian work.
Now, when representative heads of state, including the Prince of Wales, arrive in Rwanda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on Monday, they must not turn a blind eye to human rights violations in the host country.
While it is sad that CHOGM is being held this year in a country that does not adhere to the core values and principles of the Commonwealth, we must see this as an opportunity to shed light on Rwanda’s lack of democracy.
Our family asks Prince Charles not to remain silent about this reality and not to shake hands with the tyrant who is holding our father as a political prisoner.
The United States recently classified our father as “wrongfully detained,” noting massive irregularities in his capture and trial.
Our father was abducted nearly two years ago, lured from our home in San Antonio, Texas, via Dubai, where he was tricked into boarding a flight to Kigali. A Rwandan government agent who introduced himself as a bishop asked our father to come to Burundi and talk to church groups about reconciliation. Boarding a plane in Dubai to fly to Burundi, he was drugged and woke up only to find that he had landed in Kigali, Rwanda, a place where he would never return voluntarily.
The Rwandan government rejects any criticism of these processes, improbably arguing that it acted in accordance with international law.
Now our father has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, which would be a life sentence for someone who turned 68 last week. Our only wish for his birthday is to bring him home safe and sound. He is a cancer survivor with hypertension whose health is deteriorating while he is incarcerated. His current symptoms, including weakness in his right arm and facial paralysis, indicate that he may have already suffered one or more strokes in prison, but they are not being treated.
While it is still unclear to us and so many of the victims of the Rwandan regime around the world that Rwanda has been given the honor of hosting CHOGM this year, its presence in Kigali also provides a unique opportunity.
The Prince of Wales and other CHOGM leaders can focus on their shared values and principles and encourage those members who do not uphold those values in practice. This includes Rwanda Kagame. Although Prince Charles is not a political figure, he may seek dialogue behind closed doors or even ask to visit our father.
Rwanda has many friends in CHOGM, both countries and individuals, and we urge the Prince of Wales and all other leaders gathered to not be silent and ask Kagame to grant our father a merciful release now, before it is too late. .
Our father rescued us in 1994. We implore the international community to take this opportunity to rescue him.