{"id":7291,"date":"2023-09-24T08:52:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-24T08:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/french-rapper-mhd-sentenced-to-12-years-in-prison-for-youths-murder\/"},"modified":"2023-09-24T08:52:04","modified_gmt":"2023-09-24T08:52:04","slug":"french-rapper-mhd-sentenced-to-12-years-in-prison-for-youths-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/french-rapper-mhd-sentenced-to-12-years-in-prison-for-youths-murder\/","title":{"rendered":"French rapper MHD sentenced to 12 years in prison for youth’s murder"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PARIS: French rapper MHD was sentenced on Saturday to 12 years in prison for the 2018 murder of a young man in Paris who was rammed with a car before being set upon by a mob and stabbed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Five of his fellow defendants were also jailed over the killing, receiving jail terms of between 10 and 18 years, over what prosecutors said was a fight between rival gangs. Three other men were acquitted.<\/p>\n

The pioneer of afro-trap \u2013 a mix of hip-hop and African traditions \u2013 MHD rose to fame after becoming a viral sensation in 2015.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, was charged with homicide in January 2019 and imprisoned. He was released after a year and a half in custody as investigations continued, and released a new album.<\/p>\n

As Saturday\u2019s verdict was handed down, several women in the public gallery burst into tears. MHD hugged one of them, maintaining his composure.<\/p>\n

Those convicted \u2013 who all pleaded not guilty \u2013 have 10 days to appeal.<\/p>\n

During his final statement to the court, before it retired to render the verdict after three weeks of proceedings, he had again proclaimed his innocence.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence,\u201d he told the packed court.<\/p>\n

Read more: Shazeal Shoukat captivates social media with latest post<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The prosecutor had asked for an 18-year prison sentence for the rapper, acquittals for two of the accused, and jail sentences of 13-20 years for the others.<\/p>\n

On the night of July 5, 2018, 23-year-old Loic K was rammed by a black Mercedes and then beaten up and stabbed by around a dozen people in a gritty part of the capital\u2019s 10th arrondissement.<\/p>\n

Although the rapper denied having been at the scene, a local resident filmed the incident from his window, and the Mercedes was quickly identified as belonging to MHD.<\/p>\n

Other witnesses identified him by his haircut or a sweatshirt by Puma \u2013 for which he was a brand ambassador \u2013 according to investigative reports seen by AFP.<\/p>\n

The car was found abandoned and burned out in a car park a day after the killing.<\/p>\n

\u201cA judicial truth emerged despite the law of silence,\u201d said Juliette Chapelle, lawyer for the victim\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

The killing happened in the Cite des Chaufourniers, a low-income estate in the area that the former pizza delivery driver continued to frequent despite his fame.<\/p>\n

The football-mad performer, who was born in France to Guinean and Senegalese parents, is best known for \u201cAfro Trap Part 3 (Champions League)\u201d, a song in praise of the Paris Saint-Germain football club.<\/p>\n

He had made waves abroad, drawing admiration from global stars such as Drake and Madonna.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n