He had appealed his six-year sentence: Saad Lamjarred gets ten years
Saad Lamjarred has been sentenced on appeal to ten years in prison for rape, up from six years at trial. The court ordered his immediate incarceration. The Moroccan singer has now announced that he will appeal to the Court of Cassation.
The Val-de-Marne Court of Assizes on Appeal found Saad Lamjarred guilty on Saturday, September 26, in Créteil, of aggravated rape of Laura P. The aggravating circumstance was his intoxication at the time of the incident. The court issued a committal warrant, leading to the immediate detention of the 41-year-old artist, Le Monde reports.
On Bladi.net : Moroccan Pop Star Saad Lamjarred Sentenced to 6 Years for Rape in Paris Trial
The singer himself had appealed his six-year prison sentence handed down in February 2023 by the Paris Court of Assizes. He hoped to be acquitted after consistently denying the rape. Three years later, his guilt has been confirmed and his sentence increased to ten years.
The case dates back to October 2016. Saad Lamjarred, then aged 31, had met Laura P., 20, at a nightclub in Paris. The young woman accused him of raping her in a hotel room. The artist denied any sexual relations and admitted only to making a violent gesture after being scratched.
The prosecution sought eight years; the court imposed ten
The prosecutor had sought an eight-year prison sentence. The judges and jurors went further, imposing a ten-year sentence, four years more than the initial verdict.
The defense immediately announced an appeal to the Court of Cassation. Marie Burguburu, one of Saad Lamjarred’s lawyers, confirmed this decision after the verdict, while the singer continued to proclaim his innocence.
The trial was held behind closed doors. It had initially been scheduled for June 2025, before being postponed to allow further investigations into an attempt to extort three million euros from the singer. Five people have since been convicted in the case, but Laura P. was acquitted.
This conviction comes four months after another verdict against Saad Lamjarred. In May, the Var Court of Assizes sentenced him to five years in prison for the rape of a young woman in 2018 near Saint-Tropez. No committal warrant was issued at the time, and the artist also appealed.
On Bladi.net : Saad Lamjarred appeals rape conviction, fights French justice
The Court of Cassation will not retry the facts or the testimony heard in Créteil. It will check whether the rules of law and procedure were followed. In the meantime, the committal warrant issued on Saturday keeps Saad Lamjarred in detention.