Famed Malian singer Rokia Traoré was arrested at Fiumicino airport in Rome as she arrived for a concert, according to Italian media. The arrest stems from a conviction in Belgium related to a child custody dispute.
An airport spokesperson confirmed to newsmen on Sunday that Traoré was apprehended by border police.
This incident follows her initial detention in France in 2020 on a Belgian arrest warrant, after she ignored a court order to hand over her child to the child’s Belgian father.
Following her conditional release, Traoré defied a travel ban by flying to Mali on a private flight. Last October, a Belgian court sentenced her in absentia to two years in prison for parental abduction, specifically for not transferring custody of her child.
Traoré’s daughter, now nine years old, has resided in Mali since she was four. Her father, Traoré’s former partner, reportedly has had no contact with her since then.
In 2020, at the time of her arrest, Traoré was travelling from Mali to Brussels to appeal the custody decision. The Malian government supported her, citing her diplomatic passport.
Rokia Traoré, one of Africa’s most celebrated vocalists, has received numerous accolades, including the BBC Award for World Music in 2004 and the 2009 World Music Album of the Year in France’s Victoires de la Musique.
She is also known for her advocacy for refugees, serving as a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in West and Central Africa since 2015.
