A$AP Rocky was on tour in Stockholm, Sweden for the Smash hip-hop festival when, on June 30, two men trailed closely behind the rapper and his entourage. According to Rocky’s Instagram account, where there are two videos posted, the two men were “slapping girl’s butts who passed” and were refusing to listen to security when they said to back off.
They even hit a bodyguard with what appears to be a pair of headphones. A day later, TMZ posted a new video of A$AP Rocky allegedly throwing a man to the ground as a physical fight ensued after the two men refused to stop their behavior.
On July 2, A$AP Rocky was arrested for suspected “gross assault” by Swedish police following an altercation on the streets of the city.
Though his manager, John Ehmann, filed an appeal with the Swedish Supreme Court to have “Rocky released from the inhumane conditions and the clear violation of human rights,” the court “rejected the filing,” meaning that Rocky would remain in prison for two weeks in pretrial detention until the fight had been investigated. However, when he will be released is still unclear.
According to Ehmann’s Instagram, the “conditions of the facility are horrific and include 24/7 solitary confinement, restriction of amenities of the most basic of human functions, lack of access to life-sustaining foods as well as unsanitary conditions.”
Additionally, it appears that the Swedish government has denied A$AP Rocky his full rights as a foreign suspect. The day he was arrested, the police rejected a visit from the U.S. Embassy Consult. After this initial incident, however, A$AP Rocky “has since been able to meet with the U.S. Embassy Consult and [an] attorney, but only with the Swedish officials present.”
Many of A$AP Rocky’s friends have taken to social media to show their opposition to his treatment, including Tyler, the Creator, Justin Bieber and Meek Mill. Many other celebrities have also shared the #JusticeForRocky petition on social media, which received over 400,000 signatures on the first day it was posted and now has over 600,000 supporters. The hashtag #FreeFlacko has overtaken the internet.
A$AP Rocky has also received support from Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the U.S. Representative for New York’s 13th Congressional District, who has written to the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Sweden on Rocky’s behalf.
According to Complex, Espaillat is trying to make the Embassy listen — he stated that there is clear evidence A$AP Rocky was “provoked and harassed and followed and accosted.” After viewing the videos, Espaillat believes that A$AP Rocky was acting out of self-defense.
Despite the overwhelming support coming from the U.S., Swedish prosecutors remain rigid in their investigation. On Friday, there will be an update as to whether A$AP Rocky will be charged or whether they will extend his detainment for another two weeks, pushing his trial to mid-to-late August.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority also released a statement indicating that they are investigating the two men who harassed Rocky as suspects of “molestation and assault.”
If A$AP Rocky’s time in prison is extended, he will be serving time for a crime without due process and without a trial, which could lead to further action from the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassy located in Sweden and the Swedish ambassador in Washington D.C. Friends and fans are anxiously waiting to see what Friday’s decision will bring.
