Hakimi requests the dismissal of the rape charges.

Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, defender of Paris Saint-Germain, will appear on Friday before the Court of Appeal in Versailles, west of Paris, in an attempt to dismiss the rape case filed against him, according to a source familiar with the case who spoke to AFP.

The court is considering an appeal submitted by the 27-year-old player after a decision to refer him to trial on charges of raping a young French woman. If the appeal is rejected and the charge is not reclassified to a lesser offense, the case will be referred to a criminal court at a later date.

The case dates back to February 2023, when a woman who was 24 years old filed a complaint with the police in the Val-de-Marne area southeast of Paris, stating that Hakimi sexually assaulted her inside his home.

Following the opening of the investigation, the player was formally charged and placed under judicial supervision, before judicial authorities decided in February to refer him to trial.

Hakimi denies all the accusations against him. His lawyer, Fanny Collin, declined to comment on Friday's session, but she had previously argued during earlier sessions that "the accusation is based solely on the statements of the complainant," considering that she "obstructed the investigation process and refused to undergo medical examinations and DNA tests, as well as refraining from disclosing the names of key witnesses."

According to investigation data, the complainant stated that she met Hakimi through Instagram in January 2023, before she went to his home in a taxi called by the player. She added that he kissed her and touched her without her consent, then raped her, confirming that she managed to push him away and contact a friend who came to take her from the location.

Hakimi joined Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021 from Inter Milan, after stints with Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. He is expected to participate with his team in the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest.

He is also expected to be included in the Moroccan national team list for the opening of their World Cup campaign against Brazil on June 13 in New Jersey, in a group that also includes Scotland and Haiti.