Photo Credit: Linus Mimietz
Two Swedish rappers were sentenced to prison after plotting to kidnap and extort ‘a famous Swedish artist.’
The verdict was handed down on Wednesday were rappers Yasin Mahamoud and Haval Kahlil were charged. Yasin Mahamoud is sentenced to ten months in prison for kidnapping. Haval Kahlil is facing two years in prison and six months for aiding and abetting kidnapping and robbery.
Prosecutors used communications between the two rappers Yasin and Haval to make their case.
The two discussed kidnapping plans on March 28 last year. A plan was orchestrated for Yasin to lure the artist to a studio, where he would be torn out of a car at a red light. However, the kidnapping plot was foiled. A few weeks later, the plans resumed, but with Haval Kahlil as the bait to lure the artist to the studio. That time, it worked.
In April 2020, the artist was taken to an apartment in southern Stockholm and detained. He was beaten, threatened, and photographed in degrading clothing. Haval did not participate in the actual events of what happened at the apartment, so his involvement is judged as aiding and abetting only. The court says since Yasin has relapsed into crime, he will serve a previously remaining part of his prison sentence.
“My client denied the crime, and we will appeal this ruling to the Court of Appeal. I am quite convinced that the Court of Appeal will make a different assessment,” says Yasin’s lawyer Frida Wallin.
The two Swedish rappers Yasin and Haval were convicted as part of a larger criminal network crackdown.
27 people were convicted of serious crimes, including attempted murder, robbery, and extortion. The leader of the network, Chihab Lamouri received a sentence of 17 years in prison. According to a report from Swedish broadcaster SVT, Lamouri played a large role in organizing the kidnapping and arranging to use both rappers as bait.
Yasin has released two chart-topping albums in Sweden since his breakout success in the 2010s. In March 2021, he was named Artist of the Year and Hip-Hop/RnB Artist of the Year at Sweden’s P3 Gold awards. However, Yasin did not collect his reward in person because he was in custody in connection with the kidnapping.
