US rapper takes stand in Sweden assault trial

STOCKHOLM - US rapper A$AP Rocky was set to appear in a Swedish court on Thursday to give his account of a street brawl in a case that has stirred diplomatic tensions and outraged fans.

The 30-year-old faces up to two years in prison over the incident, which took place in Stockholm on June 30.

The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was arrested on July 3 along with three other people following a fight. His bodyguard was later released.

Prosecutors last week charged Mayers and two others with assault, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail.

At the trial's opening on Tuesday, the rapper, who has spent weeks in custody because he was considered a flight risk, said he acted in self-defense and pleaded not guilty.

As the proceedings resumed on Thursday, the defense cross-examined the plaintiff. The 19-year-old said that he was attacked by the rapper and his entourage, when he had followed them to ask about a pair of headphones broken in an earlier scuffle with the artist's bodyguard.

Much of the trial has centered around video evidence and whether a bottle had been used as a weapon during the alleged assault.

The court has also seen videos posted to the artist's Instagram, purporting to show the lead-up to the brawl, which the prosecution argued had been heavily edited.

'Threatening'

Mayers' lawyer Slobodan Jovicic has argued that the rapper's actions were the result of the plaintiff and his friend displaying "a threatening, aggressive and deeply provoking behavior".

"He admits that he threw the plaintiff on the ground, that he stepped on his arm and punched or pushed his shoulder," Jovicic told the court, arguing it had been "self-defense".

The trial is scheduled to conclude on Friday. The court then must decide whether the accused should be detained until the verdict is announced.

An online petition called #JusticeForRocky has garnered more than 640,000 signatures. Social media campaigns have urged fans to boycott Swedish brands such as IKEA.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the rapper to be freed, drawing complaints of interference from Swedish politicians.

Agence France - presse

(China Daily 08/02/2019 page11)