Malian singer and composer Rokia Traoré has been held in Italy for two months following a European arrest warrant issued by Belgium. This arrest is related to a long-standing custody dispute with her ex-partner, Belgian playwright Jan Goossens, dating back to 2019, over their daughter. On Thursday, August 22, the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation may decide to place Traoré under house arrest in Rome.
Traoré was detained on June 20, just before a scheduled performance at a music festival at the Colosseum, and has since been held in a women’s prison in Civitavecchia, near Rome.
In October 2023, a Belgian court sentenced her to two years in prison for not presenting their daughter to Goossens, following allegations of sexual abuse against Goossens that were later dismissed.
Two hearings have been held in Rome’s Court of Appeal since her arrest. On July 13, Traoré’s lawyer, Maddalena Claudia Del Re, challenged the procedural aspects of the Belgian sentence. The Italian judges have decided to refer the case to the European Court of Justice to determine whether Traoré should be released or extradited to Belgium.
The Court of Cassation is expected to review the request for house arrest on August 22, which would improve Traoré’s current conditions.