Rapper MHD has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in relation to the murder case in Paris in 2018.
BBC confirmed that MHD, born Mohamed Sylla, was found guilty in the gang-related killing of a 23-year-old man named Loic K, who died on July 5, 2018, after the rapper's Mercedes knocked him down before getting stabbed and beaten to death by 12 people.
Five other defendants were also jailed and received between 10 to 18 years of prison sentence each; three others, who pleaded not guilty, were given 10 days to appeal.
Rapper MHD Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
According to Agence France-Presse, MHD denied being at the scene when the young man died and said that the case was based on rumors. However, a local resident captured the crime from his window and recorded the Mercedes, which was soon identified as a vehicle owned by the rapper.
Unnamed witnesses also confirmed his identity through his haircut and the sweatshirt he wore that night.
The same car was found abandoned and burned out in a car park a day after the incident, The Guardian reported.
After the verdict, MHD maintained his innocence and told the court, "From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence."
MHD's lawyers have not commented or reacted to the recent verdict.
The 29-year-old artist, who went viral in 2015, was charged with homicide in January 2019. He stayed in prison for months before he was released after a year and a half in custody while the probe was still in progress.
He was still able to release an album titled "19," while awaiting the verdict. The material received critical responses from musicians like Drake and Madonna, enjoying the international spotlight when MHD dropped the record.
He followed it up with his third album, "Mansa," in July 2021. His success came after he developed the idea of "Afro trap", a type of trap music using the sounds of West Africa. MHD's debut album also savored attention when he released it in 2016 and immediately sold 200,000 copies in six months.
Juliette Chapelle, a lawyer for Loic K's family, spoke about the judicial truth coming out despite "the law of silence."
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