Achraf Hakimi appeals the rape ruling.

Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, after the Court of Appeal upheld his referral to trial on charges of rape, has filed an appeal before the French Court of Cassation, according to a source close to the case who spoke to AFP today, Friday.

The Court of Appeal confirmed on June 19 that the Moroccan national team player and Paris Saint-Germain star will be tried in a criminal court for a rape charge dating back to 2023, a charge he has repeatedly denied.

The decision comes at a time when the 27-year-old Hakimi is leading the Moroccan national team in the World Cup.

The "Atlas Lions" successfully reached the Round of 32 after finishing second in Group C with seven points, just ahead of Brazil on goal difference.

Shortly after the Versailles Court of Appeal's ruling, Hakimi wrote on the platform "X": "I have been waiting for this trial from the beginning, and finally I can speak."

Fanny Collin, Hakimi's lawyer, declined to comment on the appeal submitted to the Court of Cassation, which is the highest judicial authority in the French judicial system for civil and criminal cases.

She confirmed in mid-June that her client was "firm in his defense" and that "he has a lot to say."

In February 2023, a 24-year-old woman reported to the police in the Val-de-Marne area, southeast of Paris, that Hakimi had raped her.

A police source at the time stated that the complainant mentioned she met Hakimi in January 2023 via Instagram, before going to his home in a taxi requested by the player.

She alleged that Hakimi kissed her and touched her without her consent, before raping her.

Rachel Flor Bardo, the complainant's lawyer, stated: "All rulings in this case have been in favor of the complainant, and she will continue to fight until the end for justice."