The US claims that Hotel Rwanda's hero was 'wrongfully held.'
His family expressed the hope that the new categorization would put more pressure on Rwanda to release him.
Boakyewaa Lawrencia 
Paul Rusesabagina, the subject of the Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda, was "wrongfully held," according to the US State Department.
On Thursday, a spokeswoman stated, "The determination took into account the entirety of the facts, including the lack of fair trial guarantees throughout his trial."
Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years in prison for terrorism by a Rwandan court last year in a sham trial, according to supporters.
During the 1994 genocide, he is credited with saving over 1,200 people, and his acts inspired the film Hotel Rwanda.
His family expressed the hope that the new categorization would put more pressure on Rwanda to release him.
The family filed a $400 million (£307 million) lawsuit in the United States last month, alleging his kidnapping and torture.
His family claims that the Rwandan government enticed him back to Rwanda from exile in Texas.
