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29 March 2024

A$AP Rocky 'disappointed' by court verdict

Photo: Bang

Published
By AFP/ Bang

A$AP Rocky is "disappointed" after being found guilty of assault by a Swedish court, but says he will "keep moving forward".

The 30-year-old rapper has taken to Instagram to break his silence after a court in Sweden found him and his co-defendants Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers guilty of assault on Wednesday (15.08.19), following an incident which took place in Stockholm in July.

Posting on Instagram just hours after his verdict was announced, Rocky wrote: "I AM OF COURSE DISAPPOINTED BY TODAY'S VERDICT. I WANT TO SAY THANKS AGAIN TO ALL OF MY FANS, FRIENDS, AND EVERYONE WHO SHOWED ME LOVE DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME. IMMA KEEP MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU TO MY TEAM, MY MANAGEMENT, ATTORNEYS, LABEL AND EVERYONE WHO ADVOCATED FOR JUSTICE. (sic)"

As a result of the verdict, Rocky - who previously spent a month in jail in the Swedish capital before being released ahead of the end of the trial in early August - was ordered to pay $1,300 compensation to his 19-year-old victim, Mustafa Jafari.

Rocky and his friends were arrested in Stockholm, Sweden, in July for their involvement in a fight prior to a music festival and after being found guilty, they were given a suspended prison sentence.

Swedish prosecutors had asked for them to be given a six-month prison sentence but they won't have to serve any more jail time, after being released on August 2nd.

It has been reported that a more serious sentence was not handed down because prosecutors could not prove a bottle was used in the attack.

Journalist Alex Marshall tweeted: "#ASAPRocky didn't get a stronger sentence as the prosecutor couldn't prove a bottle was used in the attack says the lead judge."

The court said in a statement, obtained by BBC News: "The assault has not been of such a serious nature that a prison sentence must be chosen.

"The defendants are therefore sentenced to conditional sentences."

A$AP Rocky convicted of assault, gets suspended sentence

A Stockholm court on Wednesday convicted US rapper A$AP Rocky of assault and handed him a suspended sentence over a street brawl in June, a case that outraged fans and sparked a diplomatic spat with US President Donald Trump.

The 30-year-old rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, and two members of his entourage were found guilty of assaulting a 19-year-old in a fight in central Stockholm on June 30.

The three, who were in the Swedish capital for a concert, "assaulted the victim by hitting and kicking him as he lay on the ground. The artist has also thrown the victim to the ground and stepped on his arm," the court wrote in its verdict, rejecting the defence's argument of self-defence.

The three were "not in a situation where they were entitled to self-defence", the court said.

Mayers was not present in Stockholm for the verdict.

Prosecutor Daniel Suneson had called for a six-month prison sentence for Mayers and two of his crew, while the defence argued they should be acquitted.

Considered a "flight risk", Mayers was held in custody for a month while the case was investigated and throughout his trial.

But he was released after the close of proceedings on August 2, pending the verdict, and immediately returned to the United States.

Fans, fellow artists and even Trump had called for his release - with the US president's intervention drawing complaints from Swedish politicians.

US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert C. O'Brien to attend the trial, who told reporters: "The president felt they shouldn't have been detained, they were stalked."

An online petition also called #JusticeForRocky garnered more than 640,000 signatures and supporters were urged to boycott Swedish brands such as Ikea.