Tariq Ramadan’s Lawyer Withdraws Amid Ethics Complaint in Rape Case

"My interview with Ms. Henda Ayari was brief and no confidences or secrets were shared. Therefore, nothing prevented me from defending Mr. Tariq Ramadan," defends Me Bourdon, legal counsel for the latter, accused by Henda Ayari and Christelle, of "rape".

"My choice to defend Mr. Ramadan was inspired by the desire to promote a serene treatment of the procedure away from all manipulations and all amalgams," the lawyer said in a statement to AFP.

Unfortunately, "these conditions are no longer met today," said Me Bourdon, who denounces the "opportunistic" dissemination of the deontological claim filed by Me Francis Szpiner, lawyer for Ms. Ayari. A statement containing "serious untruths and regrettable confusions".

For Me Bourdon, withdrawing was the best thing to do "not to hinder the defense of Mr. Ramadan, and not to undermine the credibility of Mr. Ramadan".

In addition, Ouadie Elhamamouchi, another lawyer for Tariq Ramadan, is also accused of a conflict of interest by Mounia Rabbou, the third woman to file a complaint against Tariq Ramadan for rape. She accuses the lawyer of having solicited her insistently in mid-November 2018.