Zoom Image
MHD, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, on the first day of the trial in Paris
Photograph:
ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
A Paris court has sentenced well-known French rapper MHD to twelve years in prison for his involvement in a deadly brawl in 2018. The verdict was handed down on Saturday after a three-week trial, and five other co-defendants were sentenced to prison terms of between ten and 18 years. The prosecution had pleaded for 18 years in prison for the rapper. MHD, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, had always maintained his innocence in the proceedings.
The convicts allegedly beat up and stabbed a 2018-year-old in downtown Paris in July 23. He succumbed to his severe injuries. The investigators assumed a confrontation between hostile gangs of two districts. Syllas' car was seen in the area of the crime scene, and according to investigation files, several witnesses identified the rapper by his hairstyle or clothing.
MHD, an abbreviation of Sylla's first name Mohamend, made a name for himself as the self-proclaimed inventor of »Afro-Trap«, a rap influenced by African influences. With »Afro Trap Part. 3 (Champions League)«, a hymn to the capital football club Paris Saint-Germain, he landed a hit. His eponymous first album was certified platinum. In 2018 he released his second album »19«.
sak/AFP