Less than a week after Paul Rusesabagina's 25-year prison sentence was commuted by the Rwandan government, the man famed as the hero of the hit movie "Hotel Rwanda" will not be meeting with President Joe Biden — who had long advocated for his release.

"[I] don't have a meeting to preview or announce at this time," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told Newsmax on Thursday. "To your point, we were very satisfied with the release, but don't have anything to share about a meeting — an upcoming meeting with the president."

The president's top spokeswoman refused to reveal any details of Biden's involvement in the events leading up to Rusesabagina's release on Saturday, saying simply, "I don't have anything to share about the process and the specifics at this time."

The Biden administration has long been critical of the forcible arrest in Dubai in September 2020 of the man credited with saving the lives of 1,268 of his fellow Rwandans during that country's genocide in the 1990s. He was subsequently transported to the Rwandan capital of Kigali for trial, convicted of terrorism and treason, and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

"The United States is concerned by Rwanda's conviction of Paul Rusesabagina," a State Department spokesman told Newsmax in December 2021.

The spokesman specifically said that "the lack of fair trial guarantees calls into question the fairness of the verdict."

For his part, Rusesabagina denied the charges vehemently.

In separate meetings, both Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly urged Rwandan President Paul Kagame to release Rusesabagina.

"Paul's release was necessary for both sides," a former top State Department official told Newsmax. "The Rwandans knew that this was the greatest impediment to positive bilateral relations, but President Kagame was not going to be seen folding just because of pressure from the U.S. Two years in jail for Paul served Kagame's purpose of sending a message that those who want him out of power — and Paul is certainly one of them — are fair game, no matter who they are. For the U.S., the Rwandans are the key to stabilizing eastern Congo and supporting counter-terrorism efforts in Mozambique.

"And to use the sports phrase – Rwanda punches way above its weight in African geopolitics."

A spokesman for the Rwandan government told Newsmax that Rusesabagina's sentence was commuted, that he was not pardoned, and that he was still considered in their eyes a convicted terrorist.

The former hotelier, whose family now resides in San Antonio, Texas, is expected to be in Washington in two weeks for interviews and meetings with members of Congress.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.