For nearly a month now, ASAP Rocky has been in Swedish prison, waiting for a chance to defend himself against assault charges in court. Today is that day, as the trial has kicked off and Rocky has entered a not guilty plea.
NBC News reports that when the trial began, Rocky’s lawyer informed the judge that the rapper and two other defendants are pleading not guilty to assault charges. He claimed that they was acting in self-defense after being harassed by two men, one of them being Mustafa Jafari, the victim named in the trial. Jafari is seeking 139,000 Swedish crowns (about $14,500) in damages.
Prosecutor Daniel Suneson showed security camera and cell phone footage of the incident, saying that it supports his case. CBS News reports that court documents allege that Rocky and the two other suspects kicked Jafari while he was on the ground and hit him with a bottle. Rocky’s lawyertold Swedish public broadcaster SVT on Monday that “no bottle has been used to hit or injure anyone” and that the violence used was “within the limits of the law.” Rocky’s team is expected to present evidence on Thursday, and a verdict could be reached on Friday.
Rocky and the other defendants entered the room in handcuffs and prison uniforms, and due to the media attention surrounding the case, the trial is being held in a special secure courtroom. Aside from 50 journalists, among those present was Robert C. O’Brien, the State Department’s special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
Before he was arrested, Rocky shared footage of the incident and explained his side of the story, writing on Instagram, “SO A FEW DRUG ADDICTS ARE NOT MY FANS. WE DONT KNOW THESE GUYS AND WE DIDNT WANT TROUBLE , THEY FOLLOWED US FOR 4 BLOCKS , AND THEY WERE SLAPPING GIRLS BUTTS WHO PASSED , GIVE ME A BREAK.”
