Italian Authorities Detain Malian Singer Amid Child Custody Battle
Internationally acclaimed singer from Mali, Rokia Traore, was scheduled to give a performance at the historic Rome Colosseum on Sunday (Jun. 23), but she was detained prior to the event which led to its cancellation.
In a protracted legal battle over the custody of their daughter, Traore and Belgian playwright Jan Goosens have taken their case through the courts in France, Mali, and Belgium.
Court judgments have varied, alternately awarding custody to each parent.
A judgment by a Belgian court previously found that Traoré did not comply with the mandate to surrender her daughter to the individual awarded custody.
Traore was arrested in Paris in 2020 pursuant to a European arrest warrant and subsequently breached a prohibition on leaving France.
Amid her legal issues, Rokia Traoré, who resides in Mali with her child, has reduced the frequency of her performances throughout Europe.
