Detained in France, Rokia Traoré has started a hunger strike

Malian singer Rokia Traoré pictured in May 2015 during the Cannes Film Festival. Loic VENANCE / AFP

Text by: Jeanne Richard

Rokia Traoré announces that she has been on hunger strike since her arrest in Paris on Tuesday March 10. The Malian artist is currently incarcerated in France after the issuance of a European arrest warrant by Belgian justice for "kidnapping, forcible confinement and hostage taking" in the context of a dispute with his ex-companion on the subject custody of their daughter. The child's father's lawyer denounces a media offensive to destroy the reputation of his client.

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" I started a hunger strike on Tuesday March 10, 2020 from 6.30 am so that I would be granted a fair trial in Belgium and so that the European arrest warrant is not unfairly applied ". In a message published on his Facebook account, and in a letter relayed by his lawyer, Rokia Traoré continues to denounce the decision of the Brussels court . The judges granted the ex-Belgian companion of the singer sole custody of their daughter.

However, according to the lawyer of Rokia Traoré, the father is still the subject of a complaint for sexual touching of his child in France and in Mali. Another complaint has already been dismissed in Belgium.

" It is indeed an abduction ... "

" This is a media offensive to try to escape from prison, " says Franck Berton, the lawyer for the girl's father. He claims that Rokia Traore " wrongly accuses her ex-boyfriend of destroying her reputation " and rejects the charges of sexual touching.

" It is indeed an abduction ", continues the lawyer who recalls that Rokia Traoré left with her child in Mali when Belgian justice had given sole custody to the father.

A hearing is scheduled in Paris next Wednesday, March 18, to decide whether or not to extradite Rokia Traore to Belgium.

While waiting for her appearance in justice, the singer organizes her defense in the media. On Facebook, Rokia Traoré receives a lot of messages of support and on Twitter, she launched Thursday from her account, the hashtag #FreeRokia (Free Rokia).

https://t.co/gH5ZTPrujM https://t.co/3ozBJNInu4

Rokia Traore (@rokiatraore) March 13, 2020

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