Conviction and Sentencing
A Paris criminal court sentenced Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years in prison on Wednesday for the rape of three women between 2009 and 2016. Presiding Judge Corinne Goetzmann found him guilty on all three counts. The 63-year-old former Oxford University professor did not appear at trial, which began on March 2, citing a flare-up of multiple sclerosis requiring hospitalization in Geneva. A court-ordered medical assessment rejected this claim.
An arrest warrant has been issued, though the sentence cannot be enforced until Ramadan is arrested in France. The court also banned him from entering French territory after completing his sentence. Since Switzerland does not extradite its citizens to other countries, the mechanics of enforcement remain unclear.
Ramadan's Defense and History
Ramadan has continuously denied the rape allegations but admitted to having had contact with the women involved. Before sexual assault allegations emerged during the "Me Too" movement, he held a position as professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford with visiting roles at universities in Qatar and Morocco. He is the grandson of Hassan al-Banna, who co-founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1920s.
The scholar has been accused of advocating for a conservative and political interpretation of Islam. He denies any affiliation with extremist Islamic movements.
Prior Conviction in Switzerland
This Paris verdict marks Ramadan's latest legal setback. In 2024, he was convicted in Switzerland of rape and sexual assault. The Swiss supreme court rejected his appeal the following year, upholding a sentence of three years in prison, with two years suspended. He now faces multiple rape allegations across both countries.
The sources also report that Tariq Ramadan's lawyers cited his multiple sclerosis to explain his absence from the Paris trial, but the court rejected this claim after a medical assessment.