Press Release
Published on February 9, 2021
WASHINGTON – As the Senate begins its trial of former President Trump for instigating the January 6 attack on democracy at the Capitol, it is important to recognize that no one in the United States should be beyond accountability.
“It’s a cut-and-dried case. In one of his last acts as president, Donald Trump incited a mob to ransack the people’s house and threaten our elected representatives to undercut the constitutionally-mandated process of confirming the will of voters who elected a new president,” said Mike Breen, CEO and President of Human Rights First. “In a country that respects the rule of law and cherishes democracy, he would be held accountable for his actions. The House of Representatives has impeached the former president, we call on the Senate to convict him. That will send the clear signal that no one is above the law.”
In the aftermath of the attack of January 6, Human Rights First urged action to bring those responsible for the assault on our nation’s Capitol to justice, including the president, members of Congress who instigated and enabled the attack, and rioters themselves.
Equally important, we continue to call for an investigation into the discrepancies between law enforcement’s response to the Capitol attack and actions taken around peaceful protests in which large numbers of people are harassed and arrested, like last summer’s demonstrations for Black lives.
