French rapper jailed for abusing ex-partners

A French court on Friday sentenced a former rap star to three years in jail after finding him guilty of abusing, threatening and sometimes forcibly confining six former partners.

Moha La Squale, 29, has already served 17 months behind bars.

Fashion brand Lacoste dropped the hip hop artist, born Mohamed Bellahmed in a Parisian suburb, in 2020 after a police investigation was opened following accusations on social media.

The Paris court banned him from contacting the six women, and sentenced him to pay each between 2,500 and 10,000 euros ($2,700 and $10,800) in damages.

Throughout the trial, the French rapper of Algerian origin said his accusers were lying and claimed he was the victim of a “plot”, though he also apologised for “hurting” them.

His lawyer Elise Arfi said her client probably would not appeal what she called a “balanced” decision, adding that he had “changed a lot” since the period in question.

She had previously argued he was “isolated” and “completely overwhelmed” by suddenly becoming famous in his early 20s, adding that his consumption of cannabis could have explained his “mood swings”.

Moha La Squale rose to the top of the French charts in 2018 after making a name for himself by publishing freestyle tracks on social media.