A court in Paris has sentenced prominent Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years in jail for raping three women, two years after he was given a jail term for a separate rape offence in Switzerland.
The French rape case unfolded in 2017 when two of the three women came forward during the Me Too campaign against sexual abuse and harassment. Ramadan, a 63-year-old former professor of Islamic studies at St Antony's College in Oxford, did not attend the trial in Paris, and he has always denied the charges.
His lawyers stated that he was receiving treatment in Geneva for multiple sclerosis and labeled the trial a farce. The court has issued a warrant for Ramadan's arrest; however, Switzerland does not have an extradition treaty with France.
The court justified the 18-year sentence due to the extreme seriousness of the acts. Judge Corinne Goetzmann emphasized, Consenting to sex does not imply consenting to any sexual act whatsoever.
Following the verdict, Henda Ayari, one of the women involved, expressed gratitude that the judges believed her after enduring nine years of suffering and struggle since her initial complaint.
Ramadan has reacted to the sentence, calling for a new trial with both parties present and asserting that his health issues prevented him from attending the court sessions. He has long claimed the allegations against him are part of a political campaign aimed at silencing a Muslim intellectual. It remains to be seen how a potential second trial could proceed, given his current status as a fugitive.
The French rape case unfolded in 2017 when two of the three women came forward during the Me Too campaign against sexual abuse and harassment. Ramadan, a 63-year-old former professor of Islamic studies at St Antony's College in Oxford, did not attend the trial in Paris, and he has always denied the charges.
His lawyers stated that he was receiving treatment in Geneva for multiple sclerosis and labeled the trial a farce. The court has issued a warrant for Ramadan's arrest; however, Switzerland does not have an extradition treaty with France.
The court justified the 18-year sentence due to the extreme seriousness of the acts. Judge Corinne Goetzmann emphasized, Consenting to sex does not imply consenting to any sexual act whatsoever.
Following the verdict, Henda Ayari, one of the women involved, expressed gratitude that the judges believed her after enduring nine years of suffering and struggle since her initial complaint.
Ramadan has reacted to the sentence, calling for a new trial with both parties present and asserting that his health issues prevented him from attending the court sessions. He has long claimed the allegations against him are part of a political campaign aimed at silencing a Muslim intellectual. It remains to be seen how a potential second trial could proceed, given his current status as a fugitive.
