On Friday, the Swedish prosecutors extended American rapper A$AP Rocky’s detention by 6 more days amid their ongoing investigation into a street fight in Stockholm, and now President Trump said he planned to intervene in the case.
A district court agreed to a request from prosecutors for more time for their investigation of alleged aggravated assault by the 30-year-old performer, producer and model, whose real name is Rakim Mayers.
“The court decided that the artist will remain in custody until July 25 because of the flight risk,” Daniel Suneson, the prosecutor in charge of the case, stated. “This gives us time to complete the investigation.”
The artist’s lawyer, Slobodan Jovicic, said the decision was expected but unfair, and that A$AP Rocky is innocent.
“He (Mayers) believes he was assaulted and has acted in self-defense,” Jovicic told journalists.
The detention of Mayers, who attended the court dressed in a green T-shirt, has gained widespread attention including from President Trump and first lady Melania.
More than 600,000 people have signed petition online for his release, while fellow artists have expressed their support.
“Sweden’s a great country and they’re friends of mine,” President Trump told reporters at an unrelated event at the White House on Friday. “We’ll be talking to them. We’ve already started.”
The President said that he didn’t know Mayers but that “many members of the African-American community” sought his help for the rapper, who is black.
Mayers was detained on July 3 along with his bodyguard and two other members of his entourage in connection with a fight in a Stockholm city-center street in the early hours of June 30.
The performer was in Stockholm for a concert, and has had to cancel several shows in his European tour.
Before his arrest, Mayers uploaded videos to his Instagram account of an altercation with two men, saying that they followed him and his crew and that he didn’t wanted any trouble.
“Just spoke to @KanyeWest about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration. I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!” President Donald Trump said.
