Johnny Somali faces 10 years in prison

Johnny SomaliThe recent escapades in South Korea could land the streamer in prison for up to ten years. The notorious streamer and YouTube content creator was arrested there and is not allowed to leave the country as the investigation continues.

Johnny Somali, aka Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has been repeatedly banned from streaming platforms such as Kick and Twitch for his past actions. Somali seems to enjoy stirring up controversy wherever he goes, with both Jerusalem and Japan banning Somali from returning following his behavior in both places.

According to Dexerto, Somali now faces a possible 10 years in prison for similar behavior in South Korea. The streamer is now being held for drug possession, which is a big deal in the country and carries a potentially decades-long sentence. Originally arrested “for his protection,” the streamer was initially amused by his apparent police protection, his taunts from the patrol car, and his drinking. Facing this possible prison sentence, Somali is now expected to show remorse, apologize for his actions and claim that he is a “young person” who “made a mistake” and that he wants to “grow as a man.” It is unclear what narcotics he was allegedly carrying.

What got Johnny Somali in trouble with South Korea?

To recap, Somali was arrested following his actions in the country in October, which outraged the public and led to several attacks on him. In total, he is said to have harassed citizens by blasting North Korean music on a bus, making explicit noises on a train, and throwing a tantrum by throwing instant noodles onto a supermarket table after being told he couldn’t drink alcohol . His hostility towards the country began before his arrival, when he stated in a now-deleted tweet that he wanted to physically attack a member of the K-pop group BTS. However, it was probably his actions surrounding a “comfort woman” statue called the “Statue of Peace” that really got him into trouble with the public. Somali decided to film himself on the stream touching, kissing and dancing around the statue.

The statue pays homage to the so-called comfort women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japan during its colonial rule over Korea, which the Japanese government denies. It goes without saying that this is a sensitive piece of history, so it would upset many people to see any kind of disrespectful action towards it. It got to the point where South Korean content creators began searching for Somali and even put a bounty on his head for anyone who spotted him in public or could identify his whereabouts.

It remains to be seen what happens from here. Somali has a history of lying in court, as he admitted in Japan, where he said he was filming for a documentary, not for profit. Therefore, his apology may not carry much weight, especially in a country where there are strict drug laws.