Lawmakers Call For A$AP Rocky’s Release 2 Weeks After He Was Arrested In Sweden

Four lawmakers have joined the list of celebrities, hip-hop artists and fans calling for the release of A$AP Rocky, an American rapper who has been held in Swedish prison since July 2 for his alleged involvement in a street fight in Stockholm.

Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, traveled to Sweden as part of hip-hop group A$AP Mob’s European tour.

He has been held by court order for more than two weeks while Swedish police investigate the case. Prosecutors are expected to make a decision Friday, with several possible outcomes.

“There are three scenarios that could take place,” a spokeswoman for the Swedish prosecutor’s office told ABC News. “The prosecutor could request to dismiss the charges, [or] second, press charges, or the prosecutor could request more time for their investigation.”

The rapper posted Instagram videos on the day of the fight that show two men following him. Rocky can be heard trying to defuse the situation, repeatedly asking them to stop following him and stressing that he does not want trouble.

Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and André Carson (D-Ind.) called for Rocky’s release in a news conference Wednesday, alleging “inhumane conditions” and “human rights violations” committed against the rapper and two others who were detained alongside him, including being held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. 

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are here to confront injustice in Sweden,” Jeffries said per The Washington Post, citing the words of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

After the congressmen called on the U.S. State Department to get involved, it was announced that Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch would travel to Stockholm on Friday.

Rocky has received widespread support in the United States, with many celebrities calling for his release, and several hip-hop artists stating they would boycott Sweden.

A Change.org petition demanding Rocky’s release has received more than 600,000 signatures.