A former leader of the far-right Proud Boys has been jailed for 18 years for his role in the storming of the US Capitol, according to US media.
Ethan Nordean was identified during the trial by investigators as the instigator of the violent march on the US Houses of Parliament on January 6, 2021. Judge Timothy Kelly of the Federal District Court of the US capital Washington sentenced him to the longest sentence to date against a member of the group, according to the Washington Post. Nordean was found guilty, among other things, of “seditious conspiracy”.
More Proud Boys supporters sentenced
Another violent “Proud Boys” participant in the protests, who among other things smashed a large window in the Capitol, was sentenced to ten years in prison on Friday.
According to the US media, Dominic Pezzola chanted “Trump won!” as he left the court. Other “Proud Boys” had already been sentenced to 17 and 15 years in prison on Thursday. The sentence for the most important leader of the right-wing group, Enrique Tarrio, is also scheduled for Tuesday. He had not been allowed to travel to Washington because of a verdict shortly before the protests.
Attack on the heart of US democracy
Supporters of President Donald Trump, who was voted out at the time, stormed the seat of the US Parliament in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters in a speech with the lie that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud.
Trump had already refused to clearly condemn the right-wing radical group during the election campaign. In a televised debate with Biden, Trump said, “Proud boys – stand back and stand by.” Five people died as a result of the riots.
The attack on the heart of US democracy shook the country and made headlines around the world. According to the New York Times, around 1,100 proceedings have been opened against participants in the protest.
