Capitol Storm: Far-Right Leader Stewart Rhodes Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

Figure of the American far right, Stewart Rhodes was sentenced on Thursday, May 25 to 18 years in prison for "sedition", the highest sentence to date related to the storming of the Capitol, which had shaken the United States on January 6, 2021.

Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, was convicted of "sedition" for his role in storming the Capitol. AP - Susan Walsh

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Until the end, Stewart Rhodes will have adopted a posture of defiance. "I am a political prisoner", "my only crime is to oppose those who destroy our country", launched the founder of the militia "Oath Keepers" during the hearing, in a court of Washington.

Federal Judge Amit Mehta curtly put him in his place: "You are NOT a political prisoner," "You are here because twelve jurors ... found you guilty of sedition," "one of the most serious crimes an American can commit." The judge also justified the severity of the sentence by Stewart Rhodes' leadership role in the attack on the congressional headquarters on January 6, 2021, and his lack of remorse. "You represent a persistent threat and a danger to the country," he said.

« A general on a battlefield »

On that day, thousands of supporters of Donald Trump had sown chaos and violence in the temple of American democracy, as elected officials certified the victory of his rival Joe Biden in the presidential election. The sprawling investigation that followed resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 people. Nearly 300 received prison sentences, the heaviest of which was 14 years so far.

But only ten far-right activists – six members of the Oath Keepers and four Proud Boys – were found guilty of "sedition" after three separate trials in Washington. After weeks of hearings, jurors felt they had prepared, amassing weapons and entering military formation in the Capitol to block the formalization of Joe Biden's victory.

>> READ ALSO: Storming the Capitol: the final report of the commission of inquiry designates Trump responsible for "conspiracy"

On D-Day, Stewart Rhodes, known for his black eyepatch and fiery diatribes, remained outside the Capitol but, according to the prosecution, he radioed his troops "like a general on the battlefield." During his trial, the former soldier now aged 58 had denied "having planned" the attack and maintained that the "mission" of the "Oath Keepers" was to ensure the security of the demonstration called by Donald Trump to denounce alleged "electoral fraud". Claiming to have been presented with a fait accompli, he considered it "stupid" that Kelly Meggs, who heads the Florida branch of the "Oath Keepers", entered the Capitol. "It opened the door to our political persecution," he said. The latter, also convicted of sedition, was sentenced to twelve years in prison.

« Philanthropists »

A law graduate of Yale University, Stewart Rhodes founded the "Oath Keepers" in 2009, recruiting former soldiers or policemen, initially to fight against the federal state deemed "oppressive". Like other radical groups, this militia has been seduced by Donald Trump's anti-elite discourse and has fully adhered to the allegations of electoral fraud brandished – against all evidence – by the Republican.

In court documents, Rhodes' lawyers have tried to portray them as "philanthropists," called upon to deploy 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.

Judge Mehta also ruled that the presence of the leader of the "Oath Keepers" was generally not good news because of his "appetite for violence". "You are intelligent, charismatic and eloquent. That's what makes you dangerous," he told her.

(

With AFP)

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