Three things for February 11
1. Trump’s impeachment trial underway
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial began. On Wednesday, the prosecutors made their opening arguments, saying they will prove Trump was no “innocent bystander” but the “inciter in chief” of the deadly attack at the Capitol.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the prosecutors unveiled new security footage from the Capitol breach. The new footage shows rioters breaking into the Capitol, smashing windows and doors and searching for former Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as police beg for help on their radios.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they are deeply disturbed by the evidence shown against Trump at his second impeachment trial.
Romney told reporters on Wednesday evening that he was brought to tears watching a video shown of Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman directing him away from the mob. He called the video “overwhelmingly distressing and emotional.”
According to AP News, President Joe Biden stressed to reporters in advance that he would not be watching the proceedings.
2. Women’s rights activist released from prison after three years
On Wednesday, Feb. 10, women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was released from a Saudi prison after nearly three years behind bars, according to her family.
Hathloul, 31, was detained in May 2018 and sentenced in December to nearly six years in prison on charges that U.N. rights experts called “spurious” under broad counter-terrorism laws, reports Reuters.
According to her family, Hathloul campaigned for women’s right to drive and end Saudi’s male guardianship system.
The court suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence, most of which had already been served. Hathloul still faces a five-year travel ban ordered by the court.
Hathloul’s sister, Lina, posted to Twitter to break the news of Hathloul’s return home. Hathloul’s family maintains that she was subjected to abuse, including electric shocks, waterboarding, flogging and sexual assault.
Saudi authorities denied the accusations. A Saudi appeals court dismissed the torture claims, citing a lack of evidence.
3. Canada declares the Proud Boys a terrorist group
On Wednesday, Canada’s authorities declared the Proud Boys a terrorist entity, adding the far-right group to a list that includes al-Qaeda, ISIS and al-Shabab.
The announcement by Public Safety Minister Bill Blair comes less than a month after members of the Proud Boys joined the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Designation as a terrorist group carries financial and legal consequences. According to The Washington Post, police can seize the group’s property or its members; banks can seize their assets. It is a crime to knowingly assist a designated group in facilitating or carrying out attacks. Group members may be denied entry to Canada.
The Proud Boys was formed in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, a Canadian. The far-right, male-only group of self-described “Western chauvinists” has a history of street violence, according to The Washington Post.
Canada added a number of other groups to the list. To learn more, read The Washington Post’s article.
