US President Donald Trump issued pardons or commutations for more than 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the US Capitol riot four years ago.

Fourteen members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, two far-right groups, are among those whose sentences were commuted by the new Republican president as he took office on Monday.

Trump also signed an order directing the Department of Justice to drop all pending cases against suspects accused in the riot.

The executive action came shortly after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the US inside the Capitol, which was stormed by his supporters on 6 January 2021 as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden's election victory.

During a signing ceremony in the Oval Office on Monday evening, Trump displayed a list of the names of US Capitol riot defendants he said were receiving a pardon.

"These are the hostages, approximately 1,500 for a pardon, full pardon," Trump said. "This is a big one."

"These people have been destroyed," he added. "What they've done to these people is outrageous. There's rarely been anything like it in the history of our country."

The proclamation says that it "ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation".

According to Justice Department figures released earlier this month, approximately 1,583 defendants have been charged with crimes associated with the riot.

More than 600 have been charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing law enforcement, including around 175 charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.

Capitol Police officers were attacked with weapons including metal batons, wooden planks, flagpoles, fire extinguishers and pepper........

© BBC