Four members of the far-right militia Proud Boys have been found guilty of sedition during the storming of the Capitol two years ago. These include former leader Enrique Tarrio, a well-known figure in American anti-government movements.
A jury ruled that the four were guilty of a so-called ‘seditious conspiracy’, a conspiracy against the state. They wanted to prevent Democrat Joe Biden from becoming president after he defeated Donald Trump in the presidential election. The suspects, according to prosecutors, saw themselves as Trump’s “army”.
The suspects face years in prison. Tarrio’s lawyers argued that the Proud Boys are being used as scapegoats. They argued that the storming of the Capitol was not a planned action, but an “unexpected riot”. The rioters would have been whipped up by Trump. The ex-president refused to admit defeat, claiming he had lost through fraud.
The American justice department decided to prosecute many rioters after the storming of the Capitol. At least five hundred suspects have already pleaded guilty. Earlier this year, members of the right-wing militia Oath Keepers were also convicted.
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