Rape trial of Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred starts in Paris

The trial of Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred, who is accused of aggravated rape and assault, started in Paris on Monday.

The 37-year-old Lamjarred, who is famous on the Arab pop music scene, allegedly raped a French woman at a luxury hotel on the Champs-Elysees in October 2016 while he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.

He has denied the allegations. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A verdict is expected on Friday.

The woman, who was 20 years old at the time, said that she met Lamjarred at a Paris nightclub and accompanied him to his hotel, according to the document summarizing the conclusions of the investigation that was read out by the presiding magistrate at the court.

She said that he struck her several times as she was trying to push him back before he raped her, the document said. She managed to leave the room, and hotel staff reported seeing her crying and in distress.

Lamjarred is one of the Arab world's most popular artists. His music video "Lm3allem" has more than 1 billion views on his YouTube channel, where he has more than 14 million subscribers.

King Mohammed VI awarded him Morocco's highest national honor in 2015.

Lamjarred has also been charged with the aggravated rape of another woman in August 2018 at a nightclub in Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera. A trial date hasn't been set for that case.