Rwandan prosecutors to appeal verdict for 'Hotel Rwanda' hero

FILE PHOTO: Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood movie about Rwanda's 1994 genocide, is escorted in handcuffs from the courtroom in Kigali, Rwanda September 25, 2020. REUTERS/Clement Uwiringiyimana/File Photo

KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwandan prosecutors said on Wednesday they would appeal against a 25-year jail sentence handed to Paul Rusesabagina, a one-time hotel manager portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood film about the 1994 genocide.

The prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Rusesabagina, 67, a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame. A Rwandan court found him guilty of terrorism charges on Sept 20 after a trial that his supporters branded a sham, and proof of Kagame's ruthless treatment of political opponents.