Rwanda: Dissident Paul Rusesabagina denied bail

KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwandan dissident Paul Rusesabagina on Thursday was denied bail by a court in the capital city Kigali.

Rusesabagina faces 13 charges, including terrorism, forming an armed organization and recruiting into an armed group, complicity in murder, arson and others.

Denying his lawyers' push for bail due to health issues, the court cited "serious incriminating evidence against the suspect."

Reading the court order, judge Dorothy Yangiriye said there was no compelling reason to believe he would not be able to receive the necessary medical attention while in custody.

"Basing on the gravity of his case, the court found that there was reasonable ground to keep him in custody, hence the 30 days of remand, in part to prevent him from sabotaging ongoing investigation in his case," she added.

Rusesabagina, 66, responded immediately to the ruling, saying he would challenge it.

He is suspected of being a founder, leader, sponsor or member of extremist terror outfits including the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD) and PDR-Ihumure, operating out of various places in the region and abroad.

He gained fame after the 2004 Hollywood film, Hotel Rwanda, which portrayed him favorably in relation to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group.