A Moroccan court has sentenced French rapper Maes, born Walid Georgey, to seven years in prison for charges including the formation of a criminal gang and attempted kidnapping, local media reports said.
Maes, who has Moroccan roots, was arrested in January upon arriving in Morocco after fleeing the United Arab Emirates, where he feared possible extradition to France over a separate criminal case. French authorities had previously issued an international arrest warrant for him.
According to TelQuel, 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. The rapper, who has amassed over a billion views on his YouTube channel, was accused of hiring a gang and hitmen to kill his rival, though the plot was reportedly foiled.
Maes has denied all allegations. His lawyers described the case as “empty,” arguing that no evidence linked him to the other defendants.
As part of the case, ten other individuals were also sentenced, receiving prison terms ranging from one to ten years, according to Media24. AFP was unable to independently verify the reports, as Moroccan prosecutors were not immediately available for comment.
Maes, one of France’s most-streamed rappers in 2020, has a history of confrontations with criminal elements. Reports indicate that in his native Sevran, a suburb north of Paris, he was victimized by extortion attempts, prompting him to return fire at attackers, before fleeing to Dubai with his family.
Following the killing of his manager in 2022, he was also suspected of ordering reprisals against those he believed responsible, according to earlier reports.
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