A$AP Rocky Suspended Sentence Stands as Swedish Prosecutor Rules Out Appeal
A$AP Rocky faces no further threat of imprisonment in Sweden after the prosecutor in his assault case announced Tuesday that he would not appeal the court’s decision to give the rapper a suspended sentence.
The artist, whose real name is Rakim Myers, and two companions, Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers, were found guilty of assault in Sweden earlier this month but were not required to serve further jail time, having already spent a month in a Swedish detention center following a violent confrontation in Stockholm on June 30. The three were released Aug. 2 on conclusion of arguments in the trial after having been in custody since July 5.
A$AP Rocky’s conviction and suspended sentence were handed down by the court Aug. 14. The singer was required to pay damages to the victim but was not sentenced to any further jail time.
On Tuesday, Swedish prosecutor Daniel Suneson said that although in his opinion “the criminal act has a somewhat higher penal value” than that decided by the court, he would not appeal the court’s decision to give a suspended sentence.
“I have accepted the District Court’s evaluation of the evidence, inasmuch as the use of whole or broken bottles during the assault has not been proven,” said Suneson. “In my opinion, the criminal act has a somewhat higher penal value than the two months decided by the District Court; however, after due consideration, I have chosen not to appeal the verdict. All three defendants have in fact been brought to justice for assault and the District Court has dismissed the plea of self-defense, something that I believe was important to clarify in this particular case.”
The American rapper had been arrested and jailed following a confrontation with 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari. The damages awarded to Jafari were reportedly 12,500 Swedish krona ($1,300), considerably less than he had been seeking.
A$AP Rocky and his two companions had pleaded not guilty to the assault charge, describing Jafari as having approached them several times the night of June 30 and looking “hostile.” A$AP Rocky testified that the situation “got a little scary.”
But prosecutors alleged that the three men used too much violence for their actions to be considered self-defense, and had asked for at least a six-month jail sentence.
A$AP Rocky left Sweden immediately upon his release from detention earlier this month. On Monday, he released a trailer for new song “Babushka Boi,” his first since his release.
President Trump was among those to weigh in on the case, which was the subject of intense media scrutiny around the world. Kim Kardashian West and Jada Pinkett Smith also voiced their support for A$AP Rocky. The star canceled a string of European dates after being arrested, including one at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona.
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