Singer and Advocate Ami Koita Reaches Agreement in Parental Abduction Case

0
Ami Koita
Ami Koita

Malian musician Ami Koita has been released from Belgian custody after reaching an agreement regarding the future of her daughter, whom she had been involved in a long-running legal battle with her ex-partner, Belgian playwright Jan Goossens.

The 50-year-old singer and guitarist, known for both her musical career and advocacy for refugees, had been incarcerated in Belgium since November following her extradition from Italy. She had been sentenced in absentia by a Brussels court in 2023 on charges of parental abduction. The case stemmed from a dispute with Goossens, who claims to have not seen his daughter, now aged nine, in over five years.

Lawyer Sven Mary confirmed that a resolution had been reached between the parties, although details of the agreement remain private. He stated that Koita is required to remain in Europe, but the specifics of the arrangement are confidential.

Traore’s legal troubles began in 2019 and escalated after a European arrest warrant was issued for her in 2020 when she defied a court ruling ordering her to return her daughter to her father. After a brief arrest in Paris, she fled to Mali but was apprehended again in Italy in 2023. Koita had appealed her conviction, and a retrial was scheduled for later this year. However, if the terms of the new agreement are upheld, her lawyer noted that the retrial would be largely ceremonial.

Beyond her music, Koita has been a prominent advocate for refugees and was appointed a UN ambassador for refugees in 2015.

Send your news stories to newsghana101@gmail.com Follow News Ghana on Google News