French rapper Maes has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Moroccan court for charges including forming a criminal gang and attempted kidnapping, local media reported Wednesday.
Maes, whose real name is Walid Georgey and who has Moroccan roots, was arrested in January upon arriving in Morocco after leaving the United Arab Emirates, where he feared possible extradition to France. French authorities had previously issued an international arrest warrant for him in connection with a separate case.
According to reports, Maes appeared in court late Tuesday and was found guilty of “forming a criminal organisation, attempted abduction, and unlawful confinement” of a rival in Morocco. News outlet TelQuel reported that the rapper allegedly tasked a gang and hitmen with harming the rival, though the plan was never carried out.
Maes has denied all charges. His lawyers described the case as “empty” and argued that there was no evidence linking him to the other defendants.
As part of the case, ten other individuals received prison sentences ranging from one to ten years, according to Media24. AFP could not independently confirm the reports, as prosecutors were unavailable for comment.
Maes, once one of France’s most-streamed rappers, has had a tumultuous past. In 2020, he was targeted in an extortion attempt in his hometown of Sevran, a suburb north of Paris. He reportedly responded with gunfire and later fled to Dubai with his family.
Following the 2022 murder of his manager, Maes was suspected of ordering retaliatory actions against those he believed responsible, according to reports. Despite his legal troubles, the rapper remains a prominent figure online, with over a billion views on his YouTube channel.
