- Actor Kida Khodr Ramadan accepts second prison sentence
In a T-shirt and casual pants, actor Kida Khodr Ramadan is escorted by court officials from prison to the historic courtroom 500 of the Berlin Criminal Court. However, unexpectedly, the "4 Blocks" star waives a trial: before the second day of the appeal hearing at the Regional Court begins, the 47-year-old withdraws his appeal. This makes the conviction of ten months' imprisonment without probation for driving without a license in four cases final.
Similarly, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office also waives an appeal against the verdict of the Tiergarten Local Court from February 2024, as a court spokeswoman said. This was a decision "in the interest of all parties," said Ramadan's lawyer Kai Walden briefly before rushing past the numerous cameras and microphones of the journalists.
Ramadan has been in prison since Monday
His client has been serving a different prison sentence of ten months since Monday. This is based on a verdict from February 2022, involving 33 cases where Ramadan was caught driving without a license. This sentence was initially suspended on probation but was later revoked because a fine of 20,000 euros was not paid in full within the given time frame. According to his Hamburg-based lawyer, who has been representing Ramadan for only a few months, this was due to a "formal error."
When the TV star received a summons to begin serving his sentence at the beginning of this year, he resisted using various means. His lawyer tried to prevent the prison sentence, among other things by filing a petition for clemency. Unsuccessfully. On Monday, the actor reported to the prison as ordered by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
He is currently serving his sentence in the open prison of Hakenfelde in Berlin-Spandau. This allows Ramadan more freedom than he would have in a closed prison. If the conditions are met, the 47-year-old could potentially go to work and return to the prison in the evenings.
No chance of a suspended sentence
In addition to the prison sentence Ramadan is currently serving, another ten months have been added with the final verdict. According to the court spokeswoman, the sentences cannot be combined into a single overall sentence.
Despite the conviction in 2022, the actor was again involved in traffic offenses in 2023. Therefore, the Tiergarten Local Court saw no chance of a suspended sentence and sentenced the family man to a prison term of ten months this time. Additionally, a one-year driving ban was imposed.
Known for "4 Blocks"
Ramadan played the leader of a criminal Arab clan in Berlin-Neukölln in "4 Blocks," who had to deal with murder, violence, drug deals, other gangsters, and the detectives from the LKA. The award-winning series was his breakthrough as an actor. At the beginning of the year, the seven-part ARD series "Testo," in which he is the main actor, co-author, and co-director, premiered.
The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office, similar to Ramadan's lawyer's decision, also chose not to appeal the verdict issued by the Tiergarten Local Court in February 2024. This decision was made "in the interest of all parties," as the court spokeswoman declared.
Following the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office, the case was handled by the Office of the Prosecutor, who, in conjunction with the original verdict in 2022, added an additional ten months to Ramadan's prison sentence.
