Tunisian rapper Samah Riahi, popularly known as Samara, was exonerated on Thursday, June 12, in a legal case concerning a cancelled concert.
The Tunis Court of First Instance ruled a complaint by a concert promoter inadmissible, concluding that there were no legal grounds for prosecution. The dispute stemmed from a financial advance Samara received for a performance in an unspecified European country but the concert was subsequently cancelled. The promoter sought a refund, accusing the artist of failing to fulfil his contractual obligations. The court dismissed the matter as a civil, not criminal, issue.
However, despite this legal victory, Samara remains in detention due to a separate case involving drug-related charges. The rapper is currently under pretrial investigation for alleged possession and use of narcotics—an issue that authorities consider more serious. As a high-profile figure in Tunisia’s music scene, Samara’s legal challenges have captured significant public attention, particularly among youth audiences who follow his career and controversies on social media.