Renowned Malian singer Rokia Traore is set to be released from a Belgian prison on Wednesday, according to reports by the local news agency Belga, citing her legal representatives.
The 50-year-old artist, one of Africa’s most celebrated vocalists, has been in detention following an international child custody dispute.
She was arrested in Rome last year and subsequently handed over to Belgium.
Traore’s legal team confirmed the imminent release, although Reuters has yet to confirm this directly with local authorities or her representatives.
The artist, who served as a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR from 2016 to 2018, has been at the center of a prolonged legal battle.
In 2023, a Belgian court sentenced her to two years in prison in absentia, linked to her ongoing custody dispute with her estranged Belgian partner, Jan Goossens, over their daughter.
Her saga began in 2020 when she was arrested in France on a Belgian warrant after failing to comply with a court order related to the custody case.
Despite being conditionally released, Traore flew to Mali, defying a ban on leaving France while awaiting the resolution of her extradition.
Traore’s daughter currently resides in Mali, further complicating the international legal dispute.