Written by: Mohammed Omran
Legal developments continue in the case against the Moroccan star. Achraf HakimiThe Paris Saint-Germain defender was ordered to stand trial by the Versailles Court of Appeal on rape charges dating back to 2023. In response, the player's defense team announced their intention to appeal the decision to France's highest judicial authority, maintaining their client's innocence.
Following the defense team's move, will the course of the case accusing Achraf Hakimi of raping a girl change?
Fanny Collin, the lawyer for Paris Saint-Germain and Moroccan national team defender Achraf Hakimi, told Reuters on Friday that her client will appeal to France's highest court following a decision upholding his referral to trial on rape charges.
On June 19, the Versailles Court of Appeal confirmed the investigating judge's decision to refer Hakimi (27 years old) to a criminal court, on charges of raping a young woman in 2023.
The Moroccan star's lawyer confirms the intention to appeal to the highest French court.
The French Court of Appeal in Versailles, on Friday, June 19, 2026, upheld the decision to refer Moroccan international star Achraf Hakimi, defender of Paris Saint-Germain, to trial on charges of rape, rejecting all the legal arguments presented by his defense team to close the case.
The court ruling confirmed the referral decision issued last February, after a hearing held in the investigation chamber, during which the player sought a final decision to close the case, but the court confirmed the continuation of legal proceedings against him.
The case dates back to 2023, when the Nanterre prosecutor's office opened an investigation following allegations from a 24-year-old woman who said she had been raped, prompting judicial authorities to begin a lengthy legal process in the case.
According to French media, the Versailles Court of Appeal rejected the player's appeal, officially paving the way for his referral to a criminal court, a move that means his trial is about to begin, although no official date has been set yet.
In his first comment, Hakimi denied the accusations against him, stressing that he has been waiting for the trial since the beginning. He said via his account on the “X” platform that the case touches his life, his family and the truth, indicating that he considers himself an “easy target” in this context.
He added that he is looking forward to the trial in order to present his version of events before the court, stressing that the time has come to tell the whole truth.
So far, there have been no official comments from Paris Saint-Germain or the Moroccan Football Federation regarding the case, and it is unclear whether the player will participate in upcoming matches amid this legal development.
