"Sources connected to the case" have reportedly told TMZ that the intervention by the U.S. State Department and President Trump could actually end up backfiring in their ongoing effort to try and get ASAP Rocky released from a Swedish jail. While TMZ is unclear on specifics, the previously mentioned sources think that there could be acrimony from Swedish prosecutors who would be angry about attempted interference into their affairs. They also may not want to look like they're easing up due to U.S. intervention.
On Friday, prosecutor Daniel Suneson requested (and was granted) a six-day extension to continue with an investigation into assault allegations against Rocky. That investigation is now set to run through Thursday, July 25. At that point, another hearing is set to see if ASAP should be further detained. As for Rocky's side of things, he has maintained throughout the entire ordeal that he acted in self-defense.
On Saturday, Trump was told by Swedish prime minister Stefan Lofven that the Swedish government would not intervene in the investigation, according to a statement. Trump had sought the rapper's release after being asked to do so by A-listers that included Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. The call between Trump and Lofven reportedly lasted about 20 minutes, and was said to be “friendly and respectful.”
Despite the cordial vibe, however, Lofven reportedly "underlined that in Sweden everyone is equal before the law and that the government cannot and will not attempt to influence the legal proceedings." The call was apparently not the end of the dialogue on the subject between the two governments, as Trump said on Twitter: "Our teams will be talking further, and we agreed to speak again in the next 48 hours."
The prosecution has not shown any leniency in the case, thus far, with sources telling TMZ that Suneson also hasn't budged on the subject of dropping pending charges. On Friday, a statement was released that said an indictment would be filed against Rocky, but the prosecutor's office later claimed that that was a mistake.
As detailed by The New York Times, a previously posted Instagram clip from Rocky shows he and his entourage telling a pair of men to stop following them:
Additionally, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet posted a video where Rocky appears to hoist a man off his feet prior to throwing him to the ground. Finally, TMZ showed a clip that appears to show Rocky and two men from his entourage pummeling the another man:
