Proud Boys sue US government for compensation

They were sentenced to prison for the storming of the US capital and later pardoned by President Donald Trump-now five front men of the right-wing radical group “Proud Boys” demand $ 100 million compensation from the government. According to US media, the signatories of the lawsuit submitted in the state of Florida claim that their constitutional rights were disregarded by the law enforcement officers. Among them is also the best -known mastermind of the storm on the parliamentary seat in Washington on January 6, 2001, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio.

The plaintiffs see themselves as a victim “political persecution”. They accuse the Federal Police FBI and the Ministry of Justice that they have systematically abused the legal system and the constitution of the United States in order to punish and suppress allies by President Trump ” – so it says in the application from which several media cited. Evidence had been manipulated, witnesses were intimidated and lawyers were spent in order to obtain “illegal prison terms”, claim the criminals convicted of 10 to 22 years in prison in 2023.

Five and a half years ago, supporters of the then incumbent President Trump had violently stormed the parliamentary seat in Washington. There the congress came together that day to formally confirm the victory of the Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election against Trump. Trump had previously starked his supporters over weeks and then again in a speech with unaffected claims that the election victory was stolen by fraud. As a result of the riots, five people were killed.

Some of the rioters were charged for minor criminal offenses – for example, for illegally entering the Capitol, resisting police officers, sliced ​​slices, destroying or stole objects. Others were convicted of serious crimes, for example because they thwarted police officers with sticks, metal rods or fists or planned the attack to sabotage the change of power by a long time.

Rädelsführer Tarrio himself was not there at the riot, but orchestrated his people from the background, some of whom had appeared in full combat equipment on the Capitol and had prepared the attack for a long time. Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison for “rebellious conspiracy”. The highest punishment of all participants – and a criminal offense that had rarely been used in the judicial history of the United States.

In January of this year, Trump pardoned practically all participants in the Capitol Sturm directly at the beginning of his second term. Numerous ringleaders were released only hours after his swearing -in – and expressed satisfaction. “Trump literally gave me my life,” said Tarrio.

A US President has the authority to shorten the punishments of the punishments sentenced under federal law or to pardon them entirely-even afterwards, i.e. after being served. However, that Trump used this authority to relieve violent offenders, injured the police and tried – heated by himself – to stop the peaceful and democratic change of power in the United States, was an unprecedented process.

“A comparison (between the plaintiffs and the government) would suggest that violence on January 6th was completely justified,” said Matthew Dallek, professor of political history at George Washington University, the “Washington Post”. “This would send the message to the country that these” Proud Boys “were wrongly punished in a fair proceedings in court and are victims. That turns the entire day upside down.”