French rapper MHD sentenced to 12 years in prison. For the 2018 slaying of a young man in Paris who struck by a car, surrounded by a mob, and stabbed, French rapper MHD given a 12-year prison term on Saturday.
A fight between rival gangs, according to the prosecution, led to the killing of five of his fellow defendants, who were all sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 18 years. Three additional men exonerated.
MHD gained fame as the creator of afro-trap, a fusion of hip-hop and African traditions, after going viral in 2015.
In January 2019, the 29-year-old, whose real name Mohamed Sylla, arrested and charged with murder. After spending a year and a half in custody while the investigation went on, he was freed and put out a new album.
Several women in the audience gallery started crying as the verdict read out on Saturday. MHD hugged one of them while remaining calm.
Those found guilty—who all pleaded innocent—have ten days to file an appeal.
He had once more asserted his innocence during his final statement to the court before it adjourned after three weeks of proceedings to announce the verdict.
“From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence,” he told the packed court.
The prosecutor had requested a sentence of 18 years in prison for the rapper, two of the defendants’ acquittals, and sentences of 13 to 20 years in prison for the remaining four.
On the evening of July 5, 2018, Loic K, then 23 years old, assaulted and stabbed by about a dozen people in a seedy area of the capital’s 10th arrondissement after struck by a black Mercedes.
Despite the rapper’s denials, a nearby resident caught the incident on camera, and MHD’s Mercedes quickly identified as the owner.
According to investigative reports seen by AFP, other witnesses recognized him by his haircut or a sweatshirt by Puma, for which he served as a brand ambassador.
French rapper MHD sentenced to 12 years in prison. A day after the murder, the burned-out, abandoned car discovered in a parking lot.
“A judicial truth emerged despite the law of silence,” said Juliette Chapelle, lawyer for the victim’s family.
The murder took place in the area’s low-income Cite des Chaufourniers, a place the former pizza delivery boy continued to frequent despite his notoriety.
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The performer, who loves football and raised by Guinean and Senegalese parents in France, best known for the song “Afro Trap Part 3 (Champions League),” which dedicated to the Paris Saint-Germain soccer team.
He had gained notoriety abroad and gained the admiration of international celebrities like Drake and Madonna.