After spending nearly a month in a Swedish jail, where he was denied bail for being a “flight risk”, American grammy-nominated rapper A$AP Rocky has been officially charged by prosecutors with Assault Causing Actual Bodily Harm. If convicted, Rocky could be sentenced to up to 2 years in a Swedish prison.
The charges suggest that President Trump’s attempts to intervene in the case have been mostly ignored by the Swedes, who have insisted that their judicial system shouldn’t be tampered with. President Trump said on Twitter last Friday that he personally pledged to secure A$AP Rocky’s bail, and that he decided to personally reach out to the Prime Minister of Sweden on Rocky’s behalf after discussing the case with Kanye West.
However, prosecutors said Thursday that Rocky will be held in jail until his trial, a date for which has not yet been set. The trial will likely be held within the next two weeks, and could last for as long as three days. Two members of Rocky’s crew have also been charged with the same crime following a brawl outside a venue where Rocky was et to perform. They have also been held pending trial, TMZ reports.
Prosecutors reportedly told TMZ Thursday morning that they will not recommend the full 2-year sentence…but Rocky could still be hit with the maximum sentence if the sentencing judge decides it.
Videos that have circulated online show a man tailing Rocky and his crew despite being asked several times to leave them alone. In the beginning, A$AP can be heard telling his associates to calm down saying that nobody wants to go to jail. But the man – who was not charged – continued to instigate, and Rocky eventually lost his cool, and threw him to the ground in dramatic fashion.
Rocky’s antagonist was not charged with a crime by Swedish police.
Many of Rocky’s supporters in the US have accused the Swedish legal system of racism for prosecuting Rocky and his associates, but not the other man who was involved in the brawl. Rocky’s mother said in an interview with TMZ that she “don’t want to pull the race card…but that’s what it’s looking like.”
However, Sweden has refused to budge, and has insisted that Rocky will be prosecuted just like anybody else.
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2LHYB1y Tyler Durden