He had long resisted going to prison. “4 Blocks” star Kida Khodr Ramadan has been in custody for a few days. Now he has withdrawn his appeal in another case.
Wearing a T-shirt and casual trousers, actor Kida Khodr Ramadan is led by judicial officers from prison into the historic room 500 of the Berlin criminal court. But surprisingly, the “4 Blocks” star decides not to appear in court: before the second day of the appeal process begins before the regional court, the 47-year-old withdraws his appeal. This means that the sentence of ten months in prison without parole for driving without a license in four cases is final.
The Berlin public prosecutor’s office is also waiving its right to appeal against the ruling of the Tiergarten District Court in February 2024, a court spokeswoman said. It is a decision “in the interest of all parties,” said Ramadan’s defense attorney Kai Walden briefly before rushing past the numerous cameras and microphones of the journalists. Walden later told the German Press Agency: “Mr. Ramadan now wants to have a clear conclusion and look forward. He wants to concentrate on his upcoming projects.”
Ramadan in prison since Monday
His client has been serving another prison sentence in prison since Monday – also for ten months. The background to this is a ruling from February 2022. At that time, it was about 33 cases in which Ramadan was caught driving without a license. This sentence of ten months was initially suspended – but was then revoked because a fine of 20,000 euros had not been paid in full within a deadline. From the point of view of his defense attorney from Hamburg, who has only been representing Ramadan for a few months, this is due to a “formal error”.
When the TV star received a summons to begin his prison sentence at the beginning of this year, he used various means to defend himself. His lawyer tried to prevent the prison sentence – including by filing a plea for clemency. To no avail. On Monday, the actor reported to begin his prison sentence, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
He is in the open prison at Hakenfelde in Berlin-Spandau. This allows Ramadan to move around more freely than would be the case in a closed prison. If the conditions are right, the 47-year-old could also go to work from there and return to the prison in the evening.
No more chance of a suspended sentence
In addition to the prison sentence that Ramadan is currently serving, the final verdict adds another ten months in prison. According to the court spokeswoman, the sentences will probably not be combined into a total sentence.
Despite his conviction in 2022, the actor was again caught committing traffic offenses in 2023. That is why the Tiergarten District Court saw no chance of a suspended sentence a good five months ago and this time sentenced the family man directly to ten months in prison. It also imposed a one-year driving license suspension.
Made famous by “4 Blocks”
In “4 Blocks,” Ramadan played the head of a criminal Arab clan in Berlin-Neukölln, who has to deal with murder, violence, drug deals, other gangsters, and investigators from the State Criminal Police Office. The award-winning series was his breakthrough as an actor. The seven-part ARD series “Testo,” in which he is the lead actor, co-author, and co-director, premiered at the beginning of the year.
Source: Stern
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