France: accused of rape, Saad Lamjarred released before his appeal

Moroccan star singer Saad Lamjarred, who appealed his sentence in Paris to six years in prison for aggravated rape, has been released, AFP learned Thursday from his lawyers.

The Paris Court of Appeal "has granted the request for release filed" by its lawyers My Thierry Herzog and Jean-Marc Fedida, and Saad Lamjarred will be "released under judicial supervision", they indicated. He was due out of prison in the evening, they said.

The 38-year-old pop star adored in the Arab world was sentenced on February 24 by the Paris Assize Court, which said it was "convinced" of the rape "described in a constant and precise manner" by the civil party since its complaint.

The young woman had told the bar how Saad Lamjarred, met in a Parisian nightclub in October 2016, had raped and hit her in her hotel room.

The court has issued a warrant of committal, Saad Lamjarred, who appeared free, had been imprisoned. He had claimed his innocence throughout the trial and appealed his conviction a few days after the verdict.

Another trial must therefore take place in this case. Saad Lamjarred must also be tried for rape before the Var Assize Court for almost identical facts that occurred in Saint-Tropez in 2018.

He has also been implicated in the past for rape in similar circumstances in New York and Casablanca.