Moroccan pop star Saad Lamjarred was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday by the Var Court of Assizes in Draguignan for the rape of a young woman he met in a nightclub in Saint-Tropez in August 2018. The verdict came after a week-long trial that concluded what had been a years-long legal battle, with prosecutors having requested ten years behind bars for the 41-year-old singer who remains one of the most popular music artists across the Arab world.
Beyond the five-year prison sentence, the court ordered Lamjarred to pay 30,000 euros in damages to the victim and an additional 5,000 euros in legal fees. The singer appeared in court as a free man throughout the proceedings, and the court did not issue an arrest warrant against him following the verdict. His defense lawyer Christian Saint-Palais declined to comment on the ruling, while the victim's attorney Dominique Lardans expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
The case centered on events in August 2018 when the victim met Lamjarred at a nightclub near Saint-Tropez before accompanying him to his hotel. The young woman testified that she had only agreed to have a drink at the hotel, while Lamjarred told investigators during the proceedings that the encounter had been entirely consensual. The trial was held behind closed doors to protect the identity and privacy of the victim, as is standard practice in sexual assault cases in France.
This conviction marks the second time Lamjarred has been found guilty of rape by a French court. In 2023, the Paris Court of Assizes sentenced him to six years in prison for the rape of a young woman he met at a Parisian nightclub in 2016. The singer appealed that conviction and has consistently denied all accusations against him throughout both cases. His legal troubles have sharply divided public opinion in Morocco and across the Arab world, where he enjoys enormous fame for hits that have accumulated billions of views on streaming platforms.
The verdict is expected to reignite debate over the treatment of sexual violence cases involving high-profile celebrities in the region. Feminist organizations in Morocco and France have long pointed to the Lamjarred case as emblematic of how fame and wealth can shield perpetrators from accountability. Advocates for the victims have called the conviction an important step forward for justice, while the singer's supporters have maintained that the accusations are part of a coordinated effort to destroy his career. Lamjarred's legal team is expected to announce whether they will appeal the latest conviction in the coming days.
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