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Morocco singer Saad Lamjarred returns home amid sexual assault trial

Morocco singer Saad Lamjarred returns home amid sexual assault trial
Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred has returned to his home country from France, where he faces trial for sexual assault.
2 min read
17 August, 2019
Despite the allegations, the singer has remained popular in Morocco [Getty]
Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred has returned to his home country from France, where he faces trial for sexual assault.

Lamjarred with his parents in the capital Rabat on Saturday.

"Home sweet home," the singer said.

French authorities had banned Lamjarred from leaving the country, where he has faced legal troubles since 2016 for sexual assault allegations.

Last year he was arrested while on bail over two separate rape and sexual assault cases after another assault allegedly took place in a hotel in Saint-Tropez.

The 34-year-old singer rose to fame after his 2015 hit 'Lmaallem' racked up more than 750 million views on YouTube, making it the most-viewed video by an Arab artist on the popular platform.

He fled the US after being granted bail in a case accusing him of assaulting and raping a woman in New York in 2010.

During his 2016 arrest, Morocco's King Mohammad V covered Lamjarred's legal costs and hired a top lawyer - known for securing acquittals - to defend him.

Despite the allegations, the singer has remained popular in Morocco.

Many fans are convinced the singer, from a family of artists in the capital Rabat, is the target of a conspiracy and that his alleged victims seek to benefit from his fame.

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