As one of his first official acts following his inauguration on January 20, US President Donald Trump issued pardons to almost all the 1,600 criminal defendants charged over their involvement in the storming of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021.

Trump had previously taken to calling them the "J6 hostages."

Among the individuals pardoned are hundreds who admitted to crimes they committed on January 6. Many others have been convicted because they acted violently toward police and other security personnel.

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The sweeping pardons at the very start of Trump's second term in office were an extraordinary move on his part, according to legal experts.

"Pardons are typically thought of as something that happens towards the end of an administration," said Aimee Ghosh, partner at the public policy practice of international law firm Pillsbury and a government law expert.

"Historically, you don't see pardons being a huge focus of day one actions, although sometimes presidents sign pardons throughout their term, especially in connection with legislation that decriminalizes a certain action," she told DW.

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