Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan has been found guilty of rape by a Swiss appeals court, overturning a previous acquittal. The court in Geneva convicted Ramadan, 62, of rape and sexual coercion related to an incident in a Geneva hotel 15 years ago. He has been sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended.
The ruling, which came on August 28 but was publicly disclosed on Tuesday, marks Ramadan’s first conviction. The court’s sentence is slightly less severe than the three years requested by the prosecutor during the appeals case.
The woman involved in the case, who has been represented by lawyers Veronique Fontana and Robert Assael, expressed relief and satisfaction that the truth has finally emerged. Her lawyers highlighted the years of pain and the dignity with which she endured the process.
Philippe Ohayon, one of Ramadan’s French lawyers, criticized the judicial process, citing what he called numerous contradictions. Ramadan, a prominent yet controversial figure in European Islam, has consistently claimed his innocence.
The case centers around accusations made by Brigitte, a Muslim convert, who alleged that Ramadan raped and abused her in his hotel room on October 28, 2008. Ramadan has argued that the encounter was consensual and described it as a “trap.”
Brigitte, who came forward with her complaint a decade after the alleged assault, cited other similar accusations against Ramadan in France as a factor in her decision to report the incident.
The Swiss appeals court’s decision follows a prior acquittal by a lower court, which had cited insufficient evidence and contradictory testimonies. However, during the appeal, Brigitte’s legal team argued that Ramadan had exercised significant control over her, suggesting psychological trauma akin to Stockholm syndrome.
The court’s statement acknowledged that the evidence presented, including witness testimonies and medical reports, supported the plaintiff’s claims. Ramadan, previously a professor at Oxford University and a visiting lecturer in Qatar and Morocco, was forced to take a leave of absence in 2017 amid rising allegations in France.
In France, Ramadan faces further accusations of raping three women between 2009 and 2016, and his legal team is challenging a Paris appeals court decision that the cases should proceed to trial.
