American streamer Ramsey Khalid Ismael, will serve his six-month prison sentence with hard labour after a South Korean appeals court rejected his appeal.
The court also chose to reject the prosecutors' request for a harsher sentence of three years in prison, meaning that the original verdict stands. During the appeal, Ismael reportedly asked for a more lenient sentence, citing his lack of access to medication for his bipolar disorder while in custody.
Ismael was convicted earlier this year of several crimes, including repeated instances of obstructing business operations, violations of the Public Order Act, and the distribution of manipulated sexual video content. The case attracted significant attention in South Korea following a series of provocative live broadcasts and public antics that led to widespread criticism and legal action.
Now that appeals by both the defence and the prosecution have been rejected, the sentence of six months in prison with hard labour stands. According to several reports, Ismael is now expected to take the case to South Korea's Supreme Court.