A$AP Rocky Found Guilty of Assault in Sweden But Won’t Serve Additional Jailtime

After an incredibly widely publicized court case, A$AP Rocky has been found guilty of assault in Sweden. The sentence comes with a fine of 12,500 Kronor, which is equivalent to around $1,300, but no further jail time for the rapper. While Rocky and his team have expressed their disappointment with the verdict, avoiding the possible 6 months to 2 years in jail that he was facing is definitely a win. Rocky had previously been held in prison in Sweden for nearly a month following the altercation, this drawing international attention after an intervention from President Donald Trump.

A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was found guilty of assaulting a 19-year old man in Stockholm following videos posted online of the altercation. In the videos, Rocky and his entourage can be seen fighting with the man, named Mustafa Jafari, kicking him after he had fallen on the ground. The fight took place after Jafari and his friend had been following Rocky around Stockholm, with the rapper and his associates telling them multiple times to leave them alone. Eventually an altercation occurred in which Jafari was injured and Rocky was seen on film throwing him to the ground. The rapper was subsequently arrested and held in prison in Sweden. In court Rocky pleaded self-defense, stating that he had tried to avoid an altercation with the men before things got out of hand. 

The incident was brought to the attention of President Donald Trump by Kanye West a few weeks later, when West requested Trump’s help in getting Sweden to release Rocky. The President took to Twitter to voice his concerns over Rocky’s incarceration, ending up in an argument with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven over his interference with the Swedish legal system. While Trump’s involvement seemingly had little effect on the proceedings of the case, Rocky was released at the beginning of this month while waiting on the release of his verdict. Rocky has seemingly been enjoying his freedom so far, performing at Real Street Fest with Tyler, the Creator this past weekend. The rapper posted on Instagram regarding the verdict earlier this afternoon thanking his fans and team for standing by him throughout this ordeal. Things are looking up for the rapper, who is now home and able to continue making music.

 

Photo Credits: Mauricio Alvarado

Nick Foulk: I am a third year UCSD student pursuing a double major in History and Political Science. I am also passionate about all types of hip-hop, indie, and folk music. I began writing music journalism in 2018 and am excited to see where it takes me.
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