US Attorney General Vows to Hold All Capitol Riot Perpetrators at Any Level Accountable

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday vowed during a speech ahead of the first anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot to hold all perpetrators of violence at any level accountable.

More than 725 individuals have been arrested and charged for their role in the January 6 events and at least 325 of those have been charged with felonies.

"The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6 perpetrators at any level accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy," Garland said during a press conference.

He added that the Justice Department has received more than 300,000 tips from citizens that helped the authorities identify individuals who participated in the US Capitol riot.

The Justice Department does not investigate and prosecute people based on their views or ideologies, all protected under US law, but threats of violence are unlawful, Garland said.

The responsibility to end threats of violence falls on all Americans to share because it undermines democracy, Garland added.