Tariq Ramadan Faces Swiss Accuser in Paris Court Over 2008 Rape Allegations

Since February 2018, the 58-year-old Islamic scholar has been indicted in France for rapes on four women, which he categorically denies.

Tariq Ramadan had been questioned for the first time in this case, in July 2020, in a parallel procedure to the French investigations, in the presence of the Geneva prosecutor in charge of the case. The Swiss plaintiff had filed a complaint against Tariq Ramadan for rape in Geneva on April 13, 2018, for acts dating back to 2008. The Islamic scholar would have acknowledged having an appointment with "Brigitte" but rejects the existence of a sexual relationship.

In recent years, a total of seven women have filed complaints against the man for rape in France, Switzerland and the United States. For this latest, fifth on the list, the Geneva prosecutor’s office had sent a request for mutual assistance to the French authorities, which led to a first hearing in Paris on July 16, followed by the confrontation on Wednesday, September 16.

A few days ago, Tariq Ramadan had been questioned for having disclosed the true identity of one of his accusers in his book Devoir de vérité. A fine of 8,000 euros (including 4,000 suspended) was requested against him and the judgment is expected on November 6. The fact that Tariq Ramadan, even though he is Swiss, is answering in France to accusations made against him in Switzerland comes from the fact that he remains subject to a ban on leaving French territory, accompanied by the surrender of his passport to the French authorities and a bail of 300,000 euros.