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Rabat – Moroccan pop star Saad Lamjarred is once again facing French justice.
On Monday, he appeared before the Val-de-Marne Court of Appeal to contest a rape conviction handed down in 2023. The court in Créteil is expected to announce its verdict by Friday.
The case stems from an incident in October 2016, when a 20-year-old woman accused Lamjarred of raping and striking her in a Paris hotel room. They had met earlier that night in a nightclub. The Paris Assize Court found him guilty and sentenced him to six years.
Lamjarred, now 40, walked into the courtroom as a free man under judicial supervision. He continues to deny any non-consensual act.
He admitted to pushing the woman in the face but claimed he did so only because she scratched him while they were kissing. He has always insisted there was no sexual relationship.
This week’s trial marks more than another legal step for the young woman at the heart of the case. “This new trial means everything,” said her lawyers, Victorien de Faria and David Chemmi, in a statement to AFP. “It’s about finally achieving justice after nearly a decade.”
They described the process as exhausting. “The Paris court recognized the rape and sentenced Lamjarred. He appealed. Now, nine years after the events, our client must go through this ordeal once more,” they said.
The singer’s legal team has remained silent in the lead-up to the trial. His lawyers, Zoé Royaux and Christian Saint-Palais, declined to respond to media inquiries.
Lamjarred’s legal troubles extend beyond this case. In the southern French town of Draguignan, he is expected to stand trial for a similar allegation dating back to 2018 in Saint-Tropez.
No date has been set yet. Past accusations in New York and Casablanca also echo similar circumstances, though those cases never reached trial.
Despite the growing number of allegations, Lamjarred continues to enjoy enormous popularity.
Yet, for many observers, his fame now stands in uneasy contrast with the serious nature of the accusations that continue to follow him.
