News

A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty in assault trial

Swedish authorities refused to release the rapper despite calls by Donald Trump

A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to assault in his trial in Sweden.

Speaking at Stockholm district court, A$AP's lawyer Slobodan Jovicic said: “He admits that he threw the plaintiff on the ground, that he stepped on his arm and punched or pushed his shoulder. He added that this was in "self-defence".

A$AP, along with two members of his entourage, was charged with assault for allegedly attacking Mustafa Jafari in Stockholm on June 30. Prosecutors say the attack was taken out “deliberately, together and in agreement”.

The 'Praise The Lord (Da Shine)' rapper is due to be cross-examined today (July 30), as is Jafari.

Rocky has been in jail since July 3, despite US president Donald Trump, alongside other politcians, calling for the rapper to be released. Trump tweeted: "Sweden has let our African American community down in the United States. Give A$AP Rocky his freedom."

The likes of Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber have also shown their support for the platinum-selling artist.

The case also led to a woman being arrested in Washington DC after threatening to blow up the Swedish embassy.

According to a written statement by a Secret Service officer, Rebecca Kanter allegedly began screaming at embassy staff, accosting a student group who were visiting the embassy, and damaging property. She was then arrested after refusing to leave and was charged with wilfully injuring and damaging property of a foreign government and refusing to depart a foreign embassy.

The day before this incident she had allegedly thrown liquid from a Coca-Cola bottle at the embassy while shouting: "I’m going to blow this motherfucker up."

She then posted on social media that she had "defiled the House of Sweden … why aren’t I getting press for A$AP". She has since been released on bail.

Read this next!

Petition launched to free A$AP Rocky from "horrific" Swedish jail Swedish prosecutors want to hold A$AP Rocky in jail for longer A$AP Rocky forced to cancel European tour dates while detained in Sweden