2023-05-04 18:01:39
Because of the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021, four members of the far-right Proud Boys militia have been found guilty of “seditious conspiracy”. The jury of a federal court in the capital Washington on Thursday convicted former Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, among others, of this particularly serious charge, as US media reported unanimously.
The men face up to 20 years in prison. The sentence will be announced at a later date. On January 6, 2021, the Proud Boys were involved in the violent storming of the US Capitol by radical supporters of President Donald Trump, who was voted out of office. The attackers wanted to prevent Congress from finally confirming Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the November 2020 presidential election that day.
Prosecutors accused the Proud Boys of conspiring to prevent a transfer of power. The criminal offense of “seditious conspiracy” includes attempts to overthrow the US government. It is rarely used in the US. The founder and leader of the far-right US militia Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, was convicted last year for “seditious conspiracy”.
After the 2020 presidential election, Trump refused to acknowledge his defeat by Biden and made allegations of voter fraud that have been refuted many times. At noon on January 6, 2021, the Republican called on his supporters to march to the Capitol and fight “whatever the hell”. The ensuing attack on the Capitol, which left five dead, caused horror around the world and is considered a black day in the history of US democracy.
To date, more than a thousand suspects have been arrested in connection with the Capitol storm. More than 230 of them have been sentenced to prison terms, many trials are still ongoing.
Trump still has many supporters among right-wing extremist militias. During the 2020 presidential election campaign, the right-wing populist caused outrage during a television duel with Biden when he said: “Proud boys – stand back and be ready.” The president at the time was actually asked to distance himself from radical right-wing groups.
Trump has not yet been held criminally responsible for storming the Capitol. A special counsel appointed by the Justice Department has his sights set on the ex-president, who wants to run once more in the 2024 presidential election. Most recently, Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence was questioned in the course of the investigation.
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