Four members of the far-right Proud Boys group involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol were convicted on Thursday of “sedition,” an extremely rare charge in the United States, with their former leader Enrique Tarrio among the four convicted, the News reported. ro with a link to AFP.

Five members of the group will stand trial in Washington for joining a mob of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump and causing havoc in the Capitol building as elected officials witnessed the election of Democratic rival Joe Biden to the House of Representatives. White.

Jurors could not agree on a charge of “sedition” against a fifth defendant, but found all five guilty of obstruction of Congress and destruction of public property, among other charges.

Since the January 6, 2021 attack, more than 950 supporters of former Republican President Donald Trump have been arrested and charged with wreaking havoc at the heart of American democracy.

After two other trials that ended in November and January, six members of another far-right militia, the Oath Keepers, have already been convicted of inciting sedition, a charge punishable by up to 20 years in prison that involves planning to use force to oppose the government. It is difficult to prove, this is a very rarely used accusation, and the previous conviction for such a crime, before November and January, was almost a quarter of a century ago.

Sedition – plotting against government by force – is a charge under Civil War law.

The trial of five members of the Proud Boys group began in December in the court of the federal capital. Former “national president” of the “Proud Boys” Enrique Tarrio, arrested in Miami in March 2022, was not in Washington on January 6, but is suspected of leading the attack on Congress, directing members of this neo-fascist organization from Baltimore. .

The founder of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, Stuart Rhodes, is one of the members of his group convicted in November of “sedition”.

According to the indictment in the Enrique Tarrio case, he was supposed to have spoken with Stuart Rhodes on January 5 in an underground parking lot in Washington and remained in contact with members of the “Proud Boys” who were entering the Capitol. Four of his associates were accused of direct involvement in the attack.

A video of the incident shows one of them, Dominic Pezzola, wielding a riot shield (stolen from the police) and smashing a Capitol window.

On January 6, 2021, thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Washington to denounce the results of the 2020 election, which the former real estate mogul lost. The crowd stormed the US Congress building, causing shock around the world.

Thursday’s conviction is another victory for the Justice Department

Five people, including a policeman, died during or shortly after the riots. More than 140 policemen were injured. (News.ro)