Last month, the historic Fischer v. USA ruling by SCOTUS has had a significant impact across the nation as J6 defendants persecuted for political reasons move closer to justice.
On July 24, 2024, AFLDS Creative Director John Strand was released from prison after United States District Judge Christopher Cooper granted his Second Motion for Release Pending Appeal.
This decision follows the High Court’s ruling that the DOJ inappropriately charged January 6 defendants with “obstruction of an official proceeding.”
Originally sentenced to 32 months, Strand endured a year-long prison term for four misdemeanor charges.
He faced a total of five counts related to his presence at the Capitol on January 6, including one felony and four misdemeanors, leading to his conviction by a Washington D.C. jury in September 2022.
Among those charges was 18 USC § 1512(c)(2), which was unquestionably weaponized by the DOJ to illegally overcharge J6 defendants with a 20-year felony for exercising their First Amendment right to protest the actions of their elected officials. AFLDS applauded SCOTUS for correcting the miscarriage of justice that was perpetrated against John and the many hundreds of ordinary Americans across the country.
The unjust overcharging in this case resulted in most defendants accepting plea deals quickly.
Despite the threat of a lengthy prison sentence, John Strand bravely refused to give false testimony, even against himself, by admitting to a fraudulent plea.
On January 6, John was at the Capitol providing security for Dr. Simone Gold, who had a government-approved permit to speak at a rally.
Video recordings from that day show that John acted honorably and responsibly in his role, protecting Dr. Gold without committing any unlawful or inappropriate acts.
Despite the clear evidence of his actions, John was sentenced to 32 months in prison and 36 months supervised release in June 2023.
Although the judge acknowledged that John’s actions were non-violent, he seemed angered by John’s exercise of his First Amendment right to free speech.
John was singled out for publicly speaking about the disparate treatment of January 6 defendants compared to other recent protests, and he was punished for his political speech criticizing the government.
In July, John self-surrendered to begin serving his sentence and was placed in solitary confinement for over four months after giving an interview about the conditions of January 6 prisoners, which goes against United Nations rules on prolonged solitary confinement.
The selective prosecution and imprisonment of John Strand is a tragic example of the erosion of freedoms in America. However, it also demonstrates that justice will prevail when individuals stand up for what is right.
After public outcry and intervention from the Supreme Court (SCOTUS), federal prosecutors have started dropping obstruction charges against January 6 defendants.
This serves as a clear message that targeting government “political enemies” will not be tolerated.
We are relieved that John Strand has been released from imprisonment.
His unwavering courage and faith throughout this ordeal inspire those fighting for freedom.
We stand with all January 6 prisoners and their families, continuing to defend our first amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.
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