France: Moroccan Singer Saad Lamjarred Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Rape and Assault

Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Paris Assize Court for rape and assault. The court found him guilty of raping and beating a young woman named Laura P in a hotel room in Paris in 2016. Lamjarred was immediately detained after the warrant of committal was issued. Laura P’s lawyers praised the court’s decision, while one of Lamjarred’s lawyers said they would consider whether to appeal the sentence.

Lamjarred was previously arrested in connection with the case in 2016 and was later released under electronic surveillance. He has been accused of rape in other courts in New York, Casablanca, and southern France. He denies all the allegations.

During the trial, Laura P testified against Lamjarred, describing the night in 2016 when she alleges he raped her in Paris. She said she had met him at a nightclub and they went to his hotel room. There, he allegedly beat and raped her before she managed to escape and ask for help. Lamjarred denied the accusations and said he did not penetrate her.

Lamjarred has faced social media campaigns calling for the cancellation of his concerts and the boycotting of his music due to the rape allegations. A concert in Cairo was cancelled in 2020 following online backlash.