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A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty to assault and tells the court, 'it got a little scary for us'

A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to his assault charges amid a trial in Sweden. Rocky’s trial commenced on Tuesday, July 30 in Stockholm District Court. The rapper and two members of his entourage were charged with assault for allegedly attacking Mustafa Jafari in Stockholm on June 30. Rocky has been in jail since July 3.

Both Rocky and Jafari gave statements regarding the incident on day two of the trial on Thursday, August 1. Jafari claimed during his cross-examination that he was looking for a friend when he approached Rocky’s group and that he was unaware that Rocky was famous. He also claimed that his attackers were holding glass bottles.

A majority of Thursday’s trial focused on analyzing videos of the scene and assessing whether broken bottles had been used as weapons or not. Red circles were drawn around Rocky’s hands and those of his entourage. Prosecution wasn’t able to confirm a DNA match to Rocky or his co-defendants on the alleged weapon.

“I felt like they were going to beat me to death,” the 19-year old Jafari told the court.

The prosecution went through a 522-page preliminary report containing extensive photographs of injuries the Jafari sustained.

Rocky’s defense lawyer, Slobodan Jovicic, questioned the accuser’s claims of having to approach Rocky’s group to locate a friend. He asked why the accuser returned to the group three minutes after being told to leave by the bodyguard as well as why the alleged victim chose to approach “a group that speaks another language” and challenged the sobriety of the accuser’s behavior.

Rocky was also cross-examined during day two about the circumstances leading up to the incident. He stated that the group was in the area for a show and wanted to explore using electric scooters. While they waited for the app to download, two men approached his security guard before returning moments later, prompting his guard to actively block them from Rocky. Rocky claims that then, Jafari hit his guard with a pair of headphones. Rocky further comments that their behavior was “really weird” and “it got a little scary.”

In regards to the bottles, Rocky admits to picking one up “momentarily” to prevent the accuser from accessing it before deciding the decision was “stupid.”

Prosecutors pointed to alleged text messages from Rocky’s assistant and others that stated “Harlem came out and smashed a bottle on a person.” The messages also discussed deleted footage on Rocky’s phone that may have been potentially incriminating.

Rocky explained how this encounter was informed by past experiences of being followed, harassed, and robbed as a result of being a celebrity. He has repeatedly stated how he and his team are unfamiliar with Sweden and did not know how to call for help. Rocky says his security guards acted to protect him and that none of the group wanted to provoke the situation.

“I have spent a month in Sweden. This is my 5th or 6th time here. I have seen the most beautiful architecture. And the not so nice things … People have said I could be compensated … What I want is justice. I want my name to be cleared. Justice for all of us,” Rocky said in his final statement.

On Friday, August 2, the final day of the trial, the man who was accompanying Jafari on the day of the incident testified that he saw Rocky and his cohorts “throw” his friend, and that the men did not appear “afraid,” as they had testified. There was also discord about whether or not Jafari had initially approached Rocky and his entourage in search of hash. Jafari’s friend testified that he, too, was “attacked.”

The prosecution asked that the court look to previous cases tried in the region for precedent, requesting that Rocky be tried harshly, and urging that the case encroaches on “grave assault.”

Hear audio and view sketch excerpts from the trial below.

H/T: Complex, BBC

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