ASAP Rocky: Rapper visited by his mum in jail for the first time
- Published
ASAP Rocky has been visited in jail by his mother for the first time since he was arrested on 30 June this year.
Renee Black visited the rapper at the detention centre in Stockholm where he's being held, after attending the start of his trial on Tuesday.
It's after President Trump flew in a special negotiator to help with the case.
Two other members of his entourage, who are also facing assault charges, were visited by family members as well.
Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers have also been held since the incident in June.
The men are accused of assaulting a 19-year-old Afghan refugee in the Swedish capital a month ago and face up to two years behind bars.
Who is ASAP Rocky and why is he on Trump's radar?
'Blown out of proportion'
The visits were arranged by a top American official, Robert O'Brien, who usually looks after hostage situations.
Dr Dennis Martinsson, who lectures law at Stockholm university, says he can't remember a case where foreign diplomats have stepped in to ensure that a detained person is allowed to see their family.
"The case clearly contains other dimensions - politically, culturally - and I think it's been blown out of proportion, in a sense," he tells the BBC.
He also said that, under Swedish law, foreign nationals are automatically seen as a flight risk.
The alleged victim says ASAP Rocky used a weapon - claiming the injuries are consistent with the use of a bottle or a similar blunt object
Robert O'Brien's involvement in the case follows a unsuccessful attempt by Donald Trump to secure ASAP Rocky's release from custody by making a call to the Swedish Prime Minster, Stefan Löfven.
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President Trump got involved in the case after speaking with Kanye West.
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After the personal approach failed, the President sent his Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs to attend the trial.
"Ambassador O'Brien is grateful that the Swedish prison authorities accommodated, on short notice, visits to Rocky, David and Bladimir by their parents today," a spokesperson for the US State Department told the BBC.
"O'Brien noted that the Swedish guards were professional and courteous with the families and with the US diplomats, who accompanied them."
ASAP Rocky - and his entourage - have pleaded not guilty to assault charges.
Videos shared at the time showed an interaction between the rapper and his entourage and two men in Stockholm.
In the videos, ASAP Rocky and the people he's with repeatedly tell a pair of men to stop following them.
"We don't know these guys and we didn't want trouble. They followed us for four blocks," he wrote on Instagram.
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