“She will remain in detention for the duration of this second trial”: Malian singer Rokia Traoré, transferred from Italy, was imprisoned in Belgium

Under a European arrest warrant, Rokia Traoré was arrested last June at Fiumicino airport in Rome, where she had just landed to give a concert in Italy.

Italy: rejection of Rokia Traoré’s appeal against her surrender to Belgium

According to her Belgian lawyer Vincent Lurquin, the singer had to notify the Belgian courts, upon her arrival, of her opposition to the default conviction of 2023, in order to be able to be retried in his presence.

In this hypothesis, “she will remain in detention for the duration of this second trial”, underlined the spokesperson for the prosecution.

This new hearing could take place as early as December.

Contacted by AFP, Mr. Lurquin said he wanted to “find an agreement in the interests of the child” with the opposing party, in order to avoid a new conviction for Ms. Traoré.

Since her arrest in Italy, Rokia Traoré opposed her surrender to Belgium, but she has exhausted all her appeals before the Italian justice system. The last one was rejected on November 20 by the Italian Court of Cassation, paving the way for his transfer.