Rokia Traoré: Malian singer arrested in Italy in child custody row

Rokia Traoré has been involved in a long-running dispute with her ex-partner over custody of their child.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUK General ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessFuture of BusinessTechnology of BusinessWork CultureInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersMalian singer detained in Italy in child custody row5 hours agoBy Basillioh Rukanga, BBC NewsShareGetty ImagesRokia Traoré was last year sentenced in absentia to two years in prison in BelgiumFamous Malian singer Rokia Traoré has been arrested at the main international airport in Italy's capital Rome over a conviction in Belgium arising from a child custody dispute.

She was arrested at Fiumicino airport as she flew in for a concert, Italian media reported.

A spokesperson for the airport told the AFP news agency on Sunday that border police had confirmed her arrest.

Traoré was initially detained in France in 2020 on a Belgian arrest warrant after failing to heed a court order to hand over her child to her Belgian father.

Months after she was conditionally released, she flew out to Mali on a private flight, defying a ban from leaving France until her extradition to Belgium.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1rrrl97v30o

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