Conviction for January 6 Insurrection Helps Protect Our Democracy

WASHINGTON D.C. –  In the first criminal trial of insurrectionists who stormed the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, a jury today convicted a Texas man of obstructing congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election. Human Rights First lauds the jury’s decision, as it raises expectations for more accountability around actions on that day by members of the public and government officials.

“In a country that respects the rule of law and cherishes its democracy, there are ways of making change. Obstructing the certification of an election is not one of them,” said Michael Breen, President and CEO of Human Rights First. “With today’s ruling, [Three Percenters and other] white nationalist extremists who tried to overturn our democracy must realize that justice is coming. We hope it is swift.”