UPDATE 3-"I'm into charity work": A$AP Rocky says he would accept community service

A Swedish prosecutor called on Friday for six-month jail terms for U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky and two members of his entourage for beating up a 19-year-old man after an argument in Stockholm, in a case that has aroused the anger of President Donald Trump. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, said he would be willing to perform community service if that was his sentence.

He was expected to learn later on Friday whether he will be released or held further, on the final day of a trial which has drawn accusations from Trump that Mayers was being treated unfairly. "You know my address, you know my lawyer's address," Mayers said, appearing in a black suit rather than the green prison clothes he had worn on earlier days of the trial, and looking more relaxed.

"I'm into charity work." Mayers was detained following a brawl outside a hamburger restaurant in Stockholm on June 30. He and two of his entourage were charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. All three pleaded not guilty. The rapper told the court that he had acted in self-defense after his bodyguard was attacked.

In his summarising argument, prosecutor Daniel Suneson said the actions of the three accused could not be seen as self-defense. "We have three people who throw out punches and kicks against a person who is lying down," he said. "Their violence is clearly indefensible."

MEDIA ATTENTION

he prosecutor said the three should face jail sentences of six months each if found guilty and asked the judge to order they remain detained until the verdict is delivered, which could take up to two weeks.

The case has drawn huge media attention, particularly since Trump asked Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to help free Mayers. Sweden's judiciary is independent of the political system and Lofven has said he will not influence the case. The court has allocated an extra room to accommodate the public want to watch through a video link. The courtroom gallery is reserved for media and the defendants' families.

Around 20 A$AP Rocky fans gathered outside the court on Friday chanting "Free Rocky" and playing his music. The prosecution says that after an argument, Mayers threw Mustafa Jafari to the ground, after which he and two of his entourage kicked and punched the teenager. In his testimony, Jafari said he was also hit on the head with a bottle after he followed Mayers' group to retrieve his headphones.

Mayers acknowledged in court on Thursday that he threw Jafari to the ground and punched and kicked him, but said the teenager had attacked his bodyguard. He said he had tried to avoid the fight and denied hitting Jafari with a bottle. Mayers said he had been scared for his group after they were followed by Jafari and his friend. Giving testimony by video link on Friday, two witnesses said they had not seen any of the three accused hit Jafari with a bottle.

Mayers' lawyer will summarise his case later on Friday, and then, unless the trial is extended, the judge will decide whether Mayers and his companions should remain in custody pending the verdict. A legal expert at the Prosecution Authority said if the judge decides not to detain Mayers further, he will be free to leave the country.

If he is released, it could point to a verdict of not guilty or that any sentence would be shorter than the time Mayers and his friends have already spent in custody. Mayers, best known for his song "Praise the Lord", had been in Stockholm for a concert. He has canceled several shows across Europe due to his detention.