Explainer: Who are Oath Keepers, the far-right group on trial for involvement in US Capitol Hill riot?
Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, is seen on a screen during a House Select Committee hearing
The Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, has gained notoriety in the United States recently due to their involvement in one of the major cases in relation to the US Capitol Hill riots. Five members of the group, including its leader Stewart Rhodes, were charged with “seditious conspiracy” and “spending months recruiting, training and conspiring to use force to prevent the transfer of presidential power”.The trial that began on Tuesday is considered the highest-profile prosecution related to the riot of January 6, 2021.
Possible punishment
If convicted, the five individuals can face around 20 years in prison. 20 other members of the group are also on trial at the moment, but the charges are not as serious as Rhodes and the four other men.
Why are they called Oath Keepers?
The Oath Keepers was launched in 2009 with a rally in Lexington, Massachusetts by Rhodes, a former US Army paratrooper who also worked as an aide to Republican politician Ron Paul. The group had a "pro-gun, anti-government" agenda with all members showing a heavy tilt towards the Republican Party.
According to CNN, the group mainly recruited former military and law enforcement personnel, with new recruits taking a pledge which was quite similar to the military oath. In the pledge, they promised to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic".
Why are the Oath Keepers on trial?
With Donald Trump rejecting the results of the US Presidential Elections, several of his supporters broke the barricade and entered the US Capitol Hill premises on January 6,2021.
According to the charges brought against the group, the Oath Keepers stored weapons in preparation for such an incident. And ahead of the riots, Rhodes sent a message to the members saying -"We aren't getting through this without a civil war. Too late for that. Prepare your mind, body, spirit."
While there was concrete proof that the members of the group physically entered the Capitol Hill premises, that charge was not brought against Rhodes. However, BBC reported that a documentary showed that he met with far-right group Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio on January 5, 2021.