Has Vybz Kartel been released? Inside his prison sentence and when he’ll be free

17 April 2024, 11:35

The dancehall artist has had his 2014 murder conviction overturned by a judge in Jamaica.

Loading audio...

Vybz Kartel, the Jamaican dancehall artist, has had his conviction for murder overturned by UK judges.

The 48-year-old was originally given a life sentence in 2014 for the killing of his associate Clive 'Lizard' Williams in Jamaica.

Now, he has appealed this conviction, but when is Vybz Kartel released and how long has he been in prison for?

Has Vybz Kartel been released from jail?

The 48-year-old dancehall artist has been freed, however may have to face a retrial following his sucessful appeal.
The appeal argued that a juror accused of trying to bribe others should have been thrown off his trial, and authorities will decide whether the case will face a retrial.
His 64-day-trial was one of the longest in Jamaican history, and ended with Kartel being sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in jail.

The dancehall artist has been in prison for a decade. Picture: Getty
When is Vybz Kartel's Retrial?

Over a month after the announcement of Vybz Kartel's release from prison, his retrial date has been set.
The dancehall artist is set to attend a hearing on 10 June to decide if he should be released for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
Court documents obtained by Dance Hall Mag show that the hearing is set to last five days following the overturn of his conviction.
How long was Vybz Kartel in prison for?

In 2014, Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Azim Palmer, was sentenced to 35 year minimum in jail.
This sentence was then reduced to 32.5 years in prison, but has now been freed due to his conviction being quashed due to juror misconduct.
The artist released numerous songs and projects whilst in prison, many of which have been critically acclaimed.