A$AP Rocky Found Guilty Of Assault In Sweden Brawl

Rapper A$AP Rocky and two members of his entourage were found guilty of assault Wednesday by the Stockholm District Court in Sweden, following a high-profile case in which President Donald Trump tried to personally secure the artist’s release.

All three Americans were given a suspended sentence and will not have to serve any prison time. The victim, 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari, was awarded damages for “violation of his integrity and pain and suffering,” though less than he requested, the court said in a press release.

Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayer, and his fellow defendants ― David Rispers Jr. and Bladimir Corniel ― were ordered to repay the state for its legal expenses based on their separate financial abilities.

The 30-year-old “Praise the Lord” rapper said he was “disappointed” by the verdict, but thanked his fans for their support and his management and legal team for advocating for justice.

Rocky was arrested by Swedish police last month after he was involved in a fight on June 30 while on tour in Stockholm.

He posted Instagram videos on the day of the brawl that show two men following him and his crew. The Grammy-nominated artist can be heard trying to defuse the situation, repeatedly asking them to stop following him and stressing that he does not want trouble.

Subsequent videos appear to show Rocky throwing one of the men to the ground and punching him. The rapper’s attorney has said that he was acting in self-defense. However, the court found that the defendants were not in a situation where they were entitled to use self-defense.

The victim suffered cuts after Rocky and the other two defendants hit and kicked him as he lay on the ground during the attack, the court said. The victim also claimed he was struck in the back of the head with a glass bottle at the time, but the court did not find evidence to substantiate his claim.

“The overall evidentiary situation in the case has been complex,” Senior Judge Per Lennerbrant said in a statement. 

Rocky’s case drew attention from several celebrities, including rapper Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian, who asked Trump to intervene.

The president called Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven in mid-July after Rocky had been in custody for several days and offered to personally vouch for the rapper’s bail. Sweden does not have a bail system, however, and Löfven’s office released a statement noting that Rocky would not receive special treatment.

Rocky was released from jail on Aug. 2, roughly a month after his arrest, while judges mulled a verdict in his case.

“THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO ALL OF MY FANS, FRIENDS AND ANYONE ACROSS THE GLOBE WHO SUPPORTED ME DURING THESE LAST FEW WEEKS,” Rocky wrote in an Instagram post the day he was released. “THIS HAS BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT AND HUMBLING EXPERIENCE.”

This article has been updated with A$AP Rocky’s response following the verdict.