A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty in Sweden
August 1, 2019
US rapper A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty in a Swedish court on Thursday to assaulting a 19-year-old man in Stockholm on June 30. If found guilty, he faces up to two years in prison.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was in the Swedish capital for a concert when the altercation took place. His lawyer told the court that he acted in self-defense.
According to the rapper, he and his entourage stopped near a fast-food restaurant to download an app to use electric scooters.
Read more: Who is US rapper A$AP Rocky and why does Trump want to free him?
While they were there, the victim allegedly got into an argument with one of Mayers' bodyguards. Mayers said they asked the 19-year-old and his friend to leave, but they refused to do so, adding that the two appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
"After a while, my security guard started pushing him away, begging him to leave," Mayers said. "Me and my crew told them, 'Listen, don't go where we are going. Go the other way; we don't want any trouble," he added.
The dispute turned into a brawl in a nearby side street, where prosecutors allege that Mayers and the two other suspects beat and kicked the 19-year-old while he was on the ground.
Two people in the rapper's entourage have also been charged with assault and, like Mayers, pleaded not guilty.
Broken headphones
The victim said he became angry when his headphones were broken during an initial altercation with one of Mayers' bodyguards.
"When he pushed me, I was both offended and surprised," Jafari told the court. "I followed them and said I was going to call the police ... since he had broken my headphones."
The 19-year-old was unable to explain to the court why he sought contact with Mayers' entourage in the first place.
He said his memory of the events was clouded due to the blows to his head that he had received during the brawl.
Backlash in the US
The case gained international media attention after US President Donald Trump publicly chastised Sweden for not setting Mayers free.
Trump intervened after being contacted by celebrity personality Kim Kardashian, who has previously lobbied the president on behalf of incarcerated African-Americans in the US.
American celebrities and fellow recording artists, including Sean "Diddy" Combs and Justin Bieber, have called for Mayers' release. The hashtag "JusticeforRocky" began trending after he was detained.
Sweden does not have a bail system, so the rapper had to stay behind bars until his trial. The court is expected on Friday to announce a date for the verdict and rule on whether Mayers will remain in custody until that time.
jcg/amp (Reuters, AP, AFP)