Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PARIS (AP) — A Moroccan singer, Saad Lamjarred, has been arrested in Paris on suspicions of committing sexual assault and is being held in police custody, a French prosecutor said on Thursday.
Lamjarred, 31, was arrested on Wednesday, the Paris prosecutor's office said without giving details. French police declined comment. Moroccan and French media have reported that Lamjarred is suspected of having assaulted a French woman in a luxury hotel on the Champs-Elysee avenue in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, without identifying sources.
Police custody for sexual assault-related cases can last up to 48 hours.
Lamjarred, who is well known on the Arab pop music scene, had been scheduled to perform in a Paris concert hall on Saturday evening.
Morocco's minister of Culture Mohamed Amine Sbihi was quoted as saying in online publication Le 360, a site known for close ties to the palace, that Moroccan authorities are working closely with French authorities on the case.
Lamjarred's video "Lm3allem" has over 400 million views on Youtube and he is one of the region's most popular artists.
King Mohammed VI awarded him Morocco's highest national honor in 2015.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
