US President Joe Biden will decorate Friday, January 6, 12 people who "
contributed in an exemplary way to our democracy around January 6, 2021
", including police officers who defended the Capitol that day assailed by supporters of Donald Trump, said Thursday January 5 the White House.
Two years after this assault that shocked the United States and the world, he will present, for the first time since taking office, several "
Presidential
Citizens
Medals
", one of the "
our nation's highest civilian honors
,” according to a statement.
This medal rewards “
exemplary acts in the service of the country and its citizens.
»
Posthumously decorated police officer
In particular, it will be awarded to seven members of the police force who faced two years ago a rampaging horde of supporters of the former Republican president, who invaded the seat of the United States Congress in an attempt to prevent the certification of the election of Joe Biden.
Among these police officers, Brian Sicknick, who died of a stroke the day after the attack on the Capitol during which he was violently taken to task, will be decorated posthumously.
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The other five recipients are people in charge, at various levels, of the electoral operations in certain states, and who have suffered pressure and threats in an attempt to force them to overturn the results of the elections, according to the White House.
350 people wanted
Two years after the attack on the Capitol, US police are still looking for 350 participants, as well as a person suspected of planting pipe bombs near the headquarters of Congress the day before the attack, while to this day more than 950 people were arrested.
More than a third have already been tried on various charges, ranging from simple "
trespassing
" to "
sedition
", and 192 have received prison sentences, according to the federal prosecutor in Washington.
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The Department of Justice is also investigating the responsibility of Donald Trump and his relatives.
Since his declaration of presidential candidacy in 2024, a special prosecutor has been appointed to independently supervise the investigations concerning him.
A parliamentary commission, whose work has had significant media coverage, has identified four possible charges against the former president: calling for insurrection, conspiracy against the American state, obstruction of official procedure (certification of a presidential election) and false declarations.
But these recommendations are purely advisory.