From Trump To Tyrants: World leaders’ mugshot moments
From Trump To Tyrants: World leaders’ mugshot moments
On Thursday, former US President Donald Trump made history by becoming the first former US leader to have his mugshot taken.
He was briefly arrested and brought to the Fulton County Jail on charges related to his attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. This marked the fourth time criminal charges had been filed against the Republican this year.
While Trump’s mugshot was indeed unprecedented for a former US president, he was not the first world leader to find himself on the wrong side of the law.
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Here are three other former world leaders who also had their moments in mugshots:
- Vladimir Lenin
Lenin’s mugshot dates back to 1885 when he was arrested by the then-Russian leader, Czar Nicholas II, for his revolutionary activities.
Following his arrest, he was sentenced to a term of exile in Siberia. Remarkably, decades later, Lenin rose to become the head of the Soviet Russian government.
- Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin, Lenin’s successor, had his mugshot captured in 1911 after multiple arrests related to his revolutionary involvement.
He spent seven months in prison before receiving a two-year exile sentence in the remote village of Solvychegodsk. His determination was evident as he even managed to escape by disguising himself as a woman and boarding a train to St. Petersburg.
Later, while active in Baku, he faced a second arrest, this time on charges of terrorism, robbery, and revolutionary agitation in the Caucasus.
- Benito Mussolini
In 1903, Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, found himself posing for a mugshot after his arrest in Bern, Switzerland.
His detainment was due to his advocacy for a violent general strike. Mussolini was eventually deported to Italy, where he had sought refuge to evade conscription. A year later, he went on to establish the fascist movement in Italy.
These three leaders’ encounters with the law offer intriguing insights into their tumultuous journeys before achieving or solidifying their positions of power.