Swiss Appeal Court Finds Tariq Ramadan Guilty of Rape
The Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan has been found guilty of raping a woman in a Geneva hotel 15 years ago by a Swiss appeal court. The court overturned a lower court acquittal, sentencing Ramadan to three years in prison, two of them suspended. The verdict was slightly more lenient than the prosecution’s request of three years in prison, half suspended, in the appeal case.
Ramadan, a former Oxford University professor, has always maintained his innocence, while his accuser, a muslim convert identified as “Brigitte,” testified that he subjected her to rape and violent sex acts. Ramadan claimed that Brigitte invited herself to his room, and he quickly ended the encounter, stating he was the victim of a “trap.”
The appeal court verdict overturns a previous lower court finding that acquitted Ramadan of rape and sexual coercion due to a lack of evidence and contradictory testimonies. However, the appeal court judges found witness testimony, certificates, medical notes, and private expert opinions consistent with the plaintiff’s account.
Ramadan’s lawyers announced that he would contest the verdict before Switzerland’s highest court, maintaining his innocence. Ramadan’s legal team is also fighting a decision in France that allows rape allegations against him to go to trial, where he is suspected of raping three women between 2009 and 2016.
Ramadan, a charismatic yet controversial figure in European Islam, had taken leave of absence from his post at Oxford in 2017 when rape allegations surfaced. Despite the guilty verdict in Switzerland, Ramadan continues to assert his innocence and push for justice in both countries.
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