Despite being found guilty of assault, American rapper A$AP Rocky was released last week. Here’s what happened at his Swedish trial…

Xander Brett

American rapper A$AP Rocky’s arrest and jailing a month ago precipitated an outpouring of support and anger, with celebrities, fans, congressmen and eventually President Trump demanding his release. President Trump went so far as to send his special envoy for hostage affairs to the trial. But the Swedish authorities ordered Rocky to remain in jail as a flight risk before and during his trial. The judge, Per Lennerbrant, did not require Rocky or his co-defendants, Bladimir Emilio Corniel and David Tyrone Rispers, to remain in Sweden, and by nightfall, Rocky had already boarded a flight out of the country.

“They used more violence than what was required to defend themselves,” prosecutor Daniel Suneson said. “It was excessive.”

Throughout the three-day trial, the prosecution and defense returned repeatedly to the question of whether a bottle played any role in the incident, which could be considered an aggravating factor in determining the length of any sentence. Mr. Jafari said he believed he had been hit behind his right ear with a bottle, and though prosecutors said that Rocky and Mr. Corniel had been seen holding bottles (Rocky said he picked one up only to move it out of the way), no one at the trial was able to say who, if anyone, hit Mr. Jafari with a bottle. Mr. Jovicic, Rocky’s lawyer, argued that Mr. Jafari hadn’t been hit by a bottle at all.

This article is a Fika Online exclusive.