In brief
Rokia Traoré, the celebrated Malian musician, has been detained in Belgium as part of a protracted child custody battle. The popular singer is serving a two-year sentence following her extradition from Italy, stemming from charges of parental abduction for not complying with court orders regarding her daughter.
In a continuing custody saga that dates back to 2020, the 50-year-old singer was initially arrested in France on a Belgian warrant after refusing to turn over her daughter to her Belgian father, Jan Goossens. Following her conditional release, Traoré left for Mali on a private flight in defiance of a travel ban.Last October, a Belgian court sentenced her in absentia to prison, prompting a European arrest warrant. Her arrest occurred in June this year at an airport in Rome as she arrived for a concert. Although her extradition was approved two months later, she had already appealed the sentence, a move that was dismissed recently.Since her detention, Traoré's daughter, now nine, has resided in Mali. Goossens reported he hasn’t seen his daughter since she left Belgium. Initially, Traoré traveled from Mali to Brussels intending to contest the custody ruling, as per her legal representation.The Malian government has publicly supported Traoré, who holds a diplomatic passport. Her lawyer, Vincent Lurquin, has indicated intentions to appeal the two-year prison sentence, which could initiate a new trial. Both parents are reported to seek an amicable solution that prioritizes their daughter’s wellbeing, but the Belgian prosecutor's office confirmed that Traoré will remain in custody pending this agreement. Renowned for her powerful voice, Traoré has earned multiple accolades, including the BBC Award for World Music and recognition at the Victoires de la Musique. Beyond her musical talents, she has played a significant role in advocacy for refugees in her position as a goodwill ambassador for the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees since 2015.
