Stewart Rhodes, one of the important figures of the American extreme right, was sentenced on Thursday to 18 years in prison for “rebellion”, the largest sentence pronounced so far in connection with the assault on the Capitol, reports AFP, taken over by Agerpres.
The agency notes that the founder of the “Oath Keepers” militia adopted a defiant position until the end: “I am a political prisoner”, “my only crime is that I oppose those who destroy our country”, he declared even before the sentence was set .
Federal Judge Amit Mehta responded that he is not a political prisoner. “You are here because twelve jurors (…) found you guilty of rebellion,” “one of the worst crimes an American can commit,” he continued.
That charge, which involves planning to use force against the government, carries a 20-year prison sentence. But prosecutors had asked for 25 years in the case of Stewart Rhodes, relying on a system that allows for increased sentences for acts of a “terrorist” nature.
Although he did not entirely agree with them, Judge Mehta approved their analysis on this point. “Acts of intimidation or coercion designed to pressure the government” fall into that category, he said.
The judge also justified the severity of the sentence by citing the leadership role of Stewart Rhodes, a 58-year-old ex-soldier, and his lack of remorse. “You represent a continuous threat and a danger to the country,” the magistrate said.
On January 6, 2021, thousands of Donald Trump’s supporters sowed chaos and violence in the headquarters of Congress, when the lawmakers were certifying the victory of his rival, Joe Biden, in the presidential elections.
The massive investigation that followed led to the arrest of more than 1,000 people. Almost 300 have received prison terms, the longest of which has so far been 14 years.
But only ten activists from far-right groups – six members of the “Oath Keepers” and four “Proud Boys” – were found guilty of “rebellion” at the end of three separate trials in Washington.
After weeks of hearings, the jurors appreciated that they prepared, gathering weapons and entering the Capitol in military formation to block the officialization of the defeat of Donald Trump.
On D-Day, Stewart Rhodes stayed out, but according to prosecutors, he led his troops by radio “like a general on the battlefield.”
During the trial, he denied that he “planned” the attack and claimed that the Oath Keepers’ “mission” was to provide security for the demonstration called by Donald Trump to denounce alleged “electoral fraud.”
Claiming he was faced with a fait accompli, he called it “stupid” that Kelly Meggs, who heads the Florida branch of the Oath Keepers, entered the Capitol. “This opened the door to our political persecution,” he said.
Kelly Meggs was sentenced to 12 years in prison for rebellion, also on Thursday, according to CNN.
A former soldier and Yale University law graduate, Stewart Rhodes founded Oath Keepers in 2009, recruiting ex-soldiers or police officers, initially to fight the “oppressive” federal state.
Like other radical groups, this militia was seduced by the anti-elite rhetoric of Donald Trump and fully embraced the accusations of electoral fraud launched – against all the evidence – by the Republican, writes AFP.
In court documents, lawyers for Stewart Rhodes tried to present them as “philanthropists”, called to move to prevent riots, after natural disasters or during protests against police violence.
“For Rhodes, imposing Oath Keepers in crisis situations was not intended to help, but to contribute to and profit from the chaos,” prosecutors countered.
Editor : A.C.
