The Swedish prime minister has disputed Donald Trump’s claim over the treatment of a detained
American rapper following a phone call between the two leaders.
Platinum-selling artist A$AP Rocky was arrested in
Sweden in early July on suspicion of assault following a street brawl. Mr Trump tweeted on Saturday that he had spoken to Prime Minister Stefan Lofven offering to personally vouch for his bail.
Mr Trump said the Swedish PM assured him that the rapper would be treated fairly. “Just had a very good call with @SwedishPM Stefan Löfven who assured me that American citizen A$AP Rocky will be treated fairly," Mr Trump said in a post on Twitter. "Likewise, I assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk and offered to personally vouch for his bail, or an alternative... Our teams will be talking further, and we agreed to speak again in the next 48 hours!" Just had a very good call with @SwedishPM Stefan Löfven who assured me that American citizen A$AP Rocky will be treated fairly. Likewise, I assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk and offered to personally vouch for his bail, or an alternative....— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2019 But a spokesperson for the Swedish leader has maintained Mr Lofven told Mr Trump the government cannot influence the judicial process. The spokesperson said: “It was a friendly and respectful phone call which lasted about 20 minutes. The Prime Minister made sure to point out that the Swedish judicial system, prosecutors and courts, are completely independent. "He also pointed out that everyone is equal before the law and that the government neither can nor will try to influence the judicial process." Mr Trump said he and Mr Lofven had agreed to speak again over the next two days, another claim disputed by Sweden. “It is possible that there will be follow up calls but right now there is not one scheduled or planned,” a spokesperson said. A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was detained following a fight in Stockholm, where he had been performing. The district court decided on Friday that Rocky would remain in custody for one more week to allow
police to complete their investigation. They have until 25 July. Mayer has claimed he was acting in self defense after two young men harassed and followed him and his entourage. Fans, fellow artists and US
Congress members have called for the 30-year-old artist to be freed following his arrest on 3 July. The US president intervened after an appeal from rapper
Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian.