DR ‹ › Moroccan rapper Pause Flow, whose real name is Jawad Asradi, has been released from prison after spending one month in detention. His release follows a ruling issued Thursday evening by the Sefrou Court of First Instance, which sentenced him to a three-month suspended prison term and imposed a 2,000-dirham fine. During the hearing, the public prosecutor argued that the acts attributed to the defendant do not fall under freedom of expression, on the grounds that they undermine the dignity of the individuals concerned. The prosecution emphasized that the songs in question were published on social media platforms, giving them wide circulation within the community. Prior to the ruling, Asradi had been questioned by the National Brigade of Judicial Police in Casablanca before being referred to the public prosecutor at the Sefrou court. The court had ordered his placement in pre-trial detention at the city's local prison, after rejecting a request for provisional release submitted by the defense in exchange for bail. According to the same sources, Jawad Asradi's legal team continues to assert his innocence, maintaining that the content of the song at the center of the case is protected under the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression. They also stressed that their client had expressed willingness to pay bail had he been allowed to remain at liberty during the proceedings.
