As the rapper ASAP Rocky’s trial on an assault charge started on Tuesday in Stockholm, the case had already billowed into a scandal of international proportions: Accusations of racism and human rights abuses have been leveled against Sweden’s justice system, and President Trump has taken to Twitter to criticize Sweden’s prime minister.

It has been nearly a month since he was accused of assaulting a man on June 30 while on tour in the Swedish capital. If he is found guilty , his punishment could include a fine or prison.

Last Thursday, Rocky pleaded not guilty. He acted in self-defense, his lawyer said.

[President Trump sent his special envoy for hostage affairs to the trial’s opening day.]

Who is ASAP Rocky?

ASAP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is a New York rapper, actor and fashion model who ascended from YouTube and Tumblr in the early 2010s as the face of the Harlem-based creative collective known as the ASAP Mob.