Casablanca — Rifat Harb, the attorney representing the American plaintiff who accused Saad Lamjarred of rape in 2010, is recommending Saad’s provisional release in France pending trial.
“My client met with New York State attorneys this week in connection with the case that dates back to 2010,” Harb told Le360, adding that he “did not ask for Saad Lamjarred’s extradition to the U.S.”
In June, the U.S. woman had settled the civil part of the case in exchange for an undisclosed sum of money.
On November 28, the NY Post reported that a spokeswoman for the Brooklyn district attorney had confirmed that Lamjarred’s extradition was still “under review.”
Today, however, Harb says that this week, his “client signed a document renouncing all criminal proceedings against Lamjarred.”
“I expect that the evolution of the [U.S.] case will have repercussions on the case currently being investigated in France,” adding that “even if the French case is not related to ours, it would be reasonable for Saad Lamjarred to be released on bail until the date of his trial”.
Harb’s recommendation could benefit Lamjarred’s French lawyers in pursuit of a temporary release. They had previously requested release on bail, but were denied. Lamjarred, who was arrested in late October on charges of aggravated sexual assault by a 20-year-old French woman, is currently still behind bars at the Fleury-Mérogis prison in Paris.
