He reportedly added later that he “wanted to go straight to the hotel for safety,” according to the outlet. We didn’t know what to expect with these strangers - I'm not from Sweden, so it was really scary,” he said. I saw my security guard being cut, bleeding. Rocky said that he and his group tried to get away from Jafari, who he said looked to be on drugs, but they were followed, CNN reports. “Next thing I know, my security guard was lifting one of them,” he said, before adding that then things “got a little scary.” Now, t wo days after the alleged victim, 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari, testified that he was beaten - hit nearly 20 times - after asking Rocky’s group if they’d seen his friend, Rocky took the stand to relay his version of events.Įverything was “going fine” until two men, one of whom was Jafari, approached his security guard, Rocky said, according to Variety. Rocky, 30, has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge stemming from a June 30 street fight in Stockholm.
#MUSTAFA JAFARI TRIAL#
Olsen contributed from Copenhagen, Denmark.As A$AP Rocky’s assault trial in Sweden continues, the rapper took the stand on Thursday to defend himself against allegations of assault and tell his side of the story. Trump later cheered the release of Mayers and his bodyguards. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, to Sweden to monitor the court proceedings. President Trump intervened on behalf of the rapper while he was jailed, tweeting, "It was a Rocky Week, get home ASAP A$AP!" Trump also called Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on July 20, offering to personally guarantee his bail, but the Swedish leader said he couldn't interfere in a legal case.ĭespite Trump's intervention. The issue also led to a U.S.-Swedish diplomatic spat. A social media campaign, #JusticeForRocky, has been pressing for his release. The case drew the attention of American celebrities and Mayers' fellow recording artists, including Sean "Diddy" Combs and Justin Bieber. Jafari claimed the rapper pushed him to the ground, and photos showed the alleged victim's cuts, bruises and blood-stained clothes. They also alleged that Jafari was hit with parts of, or a whole bottle. and Bladimir Corniel - beat and kicked Jafari while he was on the ground. Prosecutors alleged Mayers and his bodyguards - David Rispers, Jr. He told police earlier he had gotten angry when his headphones were broken during the initial argument with a bodyguard.Ī full-scale brawl ensued shortly afterward. Testifying in court, Jafari said his memory of the night was confused because of the blows to his head during the brawl. Mayers had told the court before his release that Jafari and his friend refused to go away despite several appeals, and claimed they appeared to be under the influence of drugs. The crime carries a two-year maximum sentence in Sweden. "The overall evidentiary situation in the case has been complex," he said.
Presiding Judge Per Lennerbrant said the evidence shows 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari was struck in the back of the head with a bottle but that it could "not be established by whom." That determination was a factor in the verdict since it "affected the assessment of the seriousness of the crime," the judge said. "In an overall assessment the court finds that the assault has not been of such a serious nature that a prison sentence must be chosen," the summary states.ĭuring the trial, prosecutors played video footage that showed Mayers throwing a young man to the ground. One of them picked a fight with one of the bodyguards, Mayers said during his trial.īut the court concluded the defendants were "not subject to a current or imminent criminal attack" and as a result "were not in a situation where they were entitled to self-defense." Mayers, 30, had pleaded self-defense and said the fight happened after he tried to avoid a confrontation with the two men he claimed had persisted in following his entourage. Slobodan Jovicic, the Grammy-nominated artist's Swedish defense lawyer, said he had been looking for "a complete acquittal" and expressed his disappointment at the verdict. Though they were spared further jail time, the defendants have been ordered to a pay a total of 12,500 kronor ($1,310) in compensation to the victim. The three, who spent nearly a month behind bars before being released Aug. That means they don't have to serve prison time unless they commit a similar offense in Sweden again. Despite the verdict, the defendants will not be returning to prison as the court gave them "conditional sentences" for the assault convictions.