Saad Lamjarred faces appeal trial in France over 2016 rape conviction

15:45

Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred is facing a new stage in a long-running French judicial case, with his appeal trial opening in Créteil over his 2023 conviction for rape and aggravated violence.

The 41-year-old artist is appearing before the court while free under judicial supervision. The proceedings concern allegations dating back to 2016, when Lamjarred met Laura Prioul, then 20, at a Paris nightclub before the pair later went to a hotel.

Lamjarred was sentenced in 2023 to six years in prison by the Paris assize court. He has consistently denied committing rape and has challenged the conviction.

Appeal proceedings reopen a case from 2016

The appeal hearing in Créteil is scheduled to run until September 25. It had originally been expected to take place in June 2025 but was postponed to allow additional investigations.

The case centers on sharply different accounts of what happened in the hotel room. Prioul has maintained that she was sexually assaulted and physically attacked. Lamjarred, for his part, has denied having sexual relations with her and acknowledged only pushing her during an altercation.

The appeal therefore gives both sides another opportunity to present their evidence and arguments before the court.

Prioul's lawyers have indicated that she may request that the proceedings be held behind closed doors, citing the continuing emotional impact of the case. Such a request would be considered within the framework of the court's procedures.

A second French conviction

The Créteil appeal comes only months after Lamjarred was convicted in a separate case.

In May 2026, the Var assize court in Draguignan sentenced him to five years in prison over the rape of a young woman near Saint-Tropez in 2018. Lamjarred appealed that judgment as well.

The two cases concern separate alleged incidents and are being dealt with through distinct judicial proceedings.

Lamjarred had previously been released under judicial supervision in France, and he has continued to contest the accusations brought against him.

An additional case surrounding the 2016 proceedings

The original case has also generated separate legal proceedings involving allegations of attempted extortion.

According to the information presented in the case, several people were prosecuted after money was allegedly demanded in exchange for withdrawing the complaint and preventing the complainant from testifying.

Prioul was acquitted in that separate proceeding, while several other defendants received suspended prison sentences.

The episode illustrates the broader legal complexity surrounding the original 2016 case, which has remained in the French judicial system for years.

A career overshadowed by legal proceedings

Lamjarred became one of the best-known Moroccan pop singers across the Arab world, building an international audience through songs and music videos that attracted millions of views.

His legal troubles, however, have repeatedly intersected with his professional career. Earlier proceedings in Morocco and the United States also involved allegations of sexual assault or rape. The American case was ultimately closed following a financial settlement, according to reporting on the earlier proceedings.

Those previous cases remain separate from the French proceedings currently under appeal and should not be treated as establishing guilt in the Créteil case.

What is at stake in Créteil

The appeal represents a new examination of the evidence surrounding the 2016 allegations and the conviction handed down in 2023.

Lamjarred continues to deny the rape allegation, while the complainant's legal team maintains its account of the events. The court will now assess the case as part of the appellate process before issuing its decision.

The proceedings in Créteil thus mark another significant chapter in a judicial saga that has followed the Moroccan singer for nearly a decade.