Islamic Scholar Tariq Ramadan Found Guilty of Rape by Swiss Appeals Court
A Swiss appeals court has found Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, 62, guilty of rape and sexual coercion, overturning an earlier acquittal. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday, sentencing Ramadan to three years in prison, with two years suspended.
The case centers around allegations made by a Muslim convert, identified only as “Brigitte,” who testified that Ramadan subjected her to rape and other violent sex acts in a Geneva hotel room 15 years ago. The accuser, who was in her 40s at the time of the alleged assault, filed a complaint 10 years later, citing the courage of other women who had come forward with similar allegations against Ramadan in France.
Ramadan, a charismatic and controversial figure in European Islam, has always maintained his innocence. However, the appeals court found him guilty, citing “witness testimony, certificates, medical notes, and private expert opinions consistent with the facts presented by the plaintiff.” The court also pointed to “many contradictions” in the judicial process, a statement echoed by one of Ramadan’s French lawyers, Philippe Ohayon.
The accuser’s lawyers, Veronique Fontana and Robert Assael, hailed the verdict as a victory, saying their client was “relieved” that the truth had finally come to light. Francois Zimeray, the lawyer who represented the woman during the first trial, emphasized the pain and hardship she had endured, saying the ruling “came at the cost of years of suffering with dignity.”
Ramadan’s guilty verdict marks the first time he has been found guilty of the allegations. He was a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University and held visiting roles at universities in Qatar and Morocco. The allegations against him date back to 2009, and he was forced to take a leave of absence in 2017 amid the “Me Too” movement.
The verdict is expected to be appealed at Switzerland’s highest court.
