Here is AIK's New Star – Robbed a Swedish Boy at Knifepoint on Public Transport

Football club AIK’s latest signing of a 23-year-old has stirred strong emotions. The man has several convictions on his record – including a serious robbery in which he and an accomplice targeted a lone victim. Samnytt has taken a closer look at the 2019 case.

It was in July 2019 that Aziz Harabi, now newly recruited by AIK, together with his peer Gedeon Mbala, attacked the victim, who had a Swedish name.

The district court’s verdict from February 2020 states that the duo “together and in cooperation with others stole a Parajumper vest, an iPhone 7, a commuter card, and 400 SEK in cash from [the victim] by pulling him along and surrounding him, holding a knife to his throat, hitting and kicking him against the body, and stating that if he didn’t do as they said, they would stab him.”

The victim described how the events unfolded:

In the afternoon, the boy was in Skogås center with a friend. As he was heading to a kiosk, he was stopped by a group of five or six people who dragged him into a tunnel. There he was pressed up against a wall and assaulted with punches to the face and kicks to the knee and stomach.

The gang demanded his mobile phone and vest and also took his wallet. When he initially refused to hand over his possessions, he was threatened with a knife. He felt a sharp object against his neck and was told he would be stabbed if he did not comply. Eventually, he handed over the phone, the code, and the vest.

Two people were most active in the attack: one boy in a dark blue vest and beige sweater hit him, while another in a cap and jeans kicked him. Another three or four people stood by and watched. Afterwards, the group ran toward the commuter train station. The boy was reunited with his friend, who called his father, and the police were summoned.

The incident lasted about six or seven minutes. He got his belongings back, except for the wallet. After the assault, he had pain in his face and, the next day, also in his jaw. He also said he became scared and paranoid after the event and feared something similar would happen again.

Description

To the police who arrived at the scene, he described the group as 5-6 dark-skinned Africans and one lighter-skinned person, likely of Middle Eastern or North African origin.

In the police interview, the victim described how scared he was during the event:

– When he held me against the wall, I looked up at the ceiling, then I felt they had a sharp object against my neck, on the left side. Then they said that if I didn’t give them my things, they would stab me. I thought: it’s just things, so I gave them my phone, my code, and my vest. I didn’t want to risk getting hurt.

Harabi and Mbala with friends. Photo: Police

Youth Service and Probation

If Aziz Harabi had turned 21 at the time of the robbery, the sentencing value would have equaled one year and three months. Since he was 16 when he committed the crime, the district court determined that the sentencing value should be five months in prison.

The sentences were 130 hours of youth service for Harabi and probation for Mbala. Both were also ordered to pay damages of 13,000 SEK.

Both convicts denied committing robbery. At the same time, Mbala was also convicted for several cases of drug offenses. Harabi appealed the verdict, but the court of appeal upheld the district court’s judgment a few months later with no changes.

The evidence included surveillance camera footage supporting the victim’s account.

Held a Dialogue

In a press release regarding the recruitment of Aziz Harabi, Miika Takkula, AIK Football’s head of recruitment, says that there has been “an open and honest dialogue with Aziz about the offenses he has been convicted of and served his sentence for.”

Despite the signing, he assures that the club sees it “as a very serious matter, but we also believe everyone who takes responsibility for wrongdoing, serves their sentence, feels remorse and shame, and then starts a new life, deserves a new chance and a fresh start in life.”

On his criminal record, Aziz Harabi has several convictions for offenses such as minor drug crimes, violent resistance, and driving without a license.