Because of the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021, four members of the right-wing extremist militia Proud Boys have been found guilty of "seditious conspiracy". The jury of a federal court in the capital Washington convicted on Thursday, among other things, the former Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio for 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.
The Proud Boys had been involved in the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol by radical supporters of ousted President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021. The attackers wanted to prevent Congress from finally confirming Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 presidential election on that day.
230 prison sentences imposed after Capitol storming
Prosecutors accused the accused Proud Boys of conspiring to prevent a transfer of power. The criminal offence of "seditious conspiracy" is directed, among other things, against attempts to overthrow the US government. It is rarely used in the United States. Last year, the founder and leader of the far-right U.S. militia Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, was convicted of "seditious conspiracy."
After the 2020 presidential election, Trump refused to acknowledge his defeat by Biden and made widely refuted allegations of election fraud. At noon on January 6, 2021, the Republican called on his supporters to march to the Capitol and fight "come hell or high water." The ensuing attack on the Capitol, which left five dead, caused worldwide horror 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 storming of the Capitol. More than 230 of them have been sentenced to prison, and many cases 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 in a televised debate with Biden when he said: "Proud Boys – hold back and be ready." Actually, the then president had been asked to distance himself from right-wing radical groups.
Trump has not yet been held criminally responsible for the storming of the Capitol. However, a special investigator appointed by the Justice Department has his sights set on the ex-president, who wants to run again in the 2024 presidential election. Most recently, Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence was questioned in the course of the investigation.