Far-right Proud Boys leader sentenced to 17 years in prison

According to media reports, one of the leaders of the far-right Proud Boys (“Proud Boys”) has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the storming of the US Capitol in Washington. A federal district court in Washington imposed the sentence on Joseph Biggs, among other things, for “seditious conspiracy” in connection with the attack on the US House of Representatives on January 6, 2021.

According to the New York Times, Thursday’s prison sentence is the second longest ever imposed on a person involved in the storming of the Capitol. The former head of another far-right group, the Oath Keepers, had been sentenced to 18 years in prison. According to the newspaper, there were a total of 1,100 proceedings against participants in the protest. Prosecutors had identified Biggs as one of the most violent rioters.

Donald Trump: Get ready

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 stirred up his supporters in a speech with the false claim that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud. 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.

During the election campaign, Trump refused to clearly condemn the right-wing radical group. In a televised debate with Biden, he said, “Proud boys – stand back and stand by.”