far-right figure sentenced to 18 years in prison

More than two years after the attack on the Capitol, the American justice imposed the highest sentence. One of the far-right figures, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced to 18 years in prison by a court on Thursday for “ sedition» . This former soldier is one of the main orchestrators of the assault on Congress in Washington, which shook American democracy on January 6, 2021.

Presenting himself as a political prisoner “, the founder of the far-right militia “Oath Keepers” has been called ” persistent threat ” and of ” danger to the country by a federal judge. According to the prosecution, this 58-year-old former soldier played a central role in the attack, ” like a general on the battlefield “. A total of six members of the “Oath Keepers” have been convicted of ” sedition “.

On January 6, 2021, thousands of supporters of donald trump entered the US Congress to try to invalidate the victory of the Democrat Joe Biden. The images of violence and chaos in one of the places of American power had caused a worldwide stir.

Affiliates of Donald Trump

The far-right group of “Oaths Keepers” has formed one of the most active movements in this attempt to take over Congress. Founded in 2009, this paramilitary collective stands out for its fierce opposition to the federal government. ” The Oath Keepers are deeply rooted in the conglosphere American and are major players in the Alt right (..) like the Proud Boys and Qanon “, had explained the researcher Tristan Mendès France to The Express in September 2022.

With the election of Donald Trump, the movement was seduced by the philippics of the republican against the elites and adhered to the accusations of electoral fraud issued by the former president following the 2020 vote. On January 6, 2021, the republican had called on his supporters to “beat like hells” to oppose the results. Presidential candidate of 2024, the real estate mogul is still under threat from a trial.