In a significant development, a Swiss appeals court on Tuesday found Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan guilty of raping a woman in a Geneva hotel 15 years ago. This verdict overturns an earlier acquittal by a lower court. The court sentenced the 62-year-old former Oxford University professor to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended. The ruling, dated August 28 but only publicly released after being reported by broadcaster RTS, is likely to be appealed to Switzerland’s highest court.
Ramadan, a charismatic but controversial figure in European Islam, has consistently maintained his innocence. His accuser, identified only as “Brigitte,” a Muslim convert, testified in court that he subjected her to rape and other violent sexual acts in a Geneva hotel room on the night of October 28, 2008. Brigitte’s lawyer described the acts as “torture and barbarism.”
Ramadan’s defense claimed that Brigitte invited herself to his room. He admitted to kissing her but asserted that he ended the encounter quickly. He alleged that he was the victim of a “trap.” Brigitte, who was in her forties at the time of the alleged assault, filed her complaint ten years later, citing similar complaints filed against Ramadan in France as her reason for coming forward.
The appeals court verdict contradicts the lower court’s findings from last year, which acquitted Ramadan of rape and sexual coercion. The lower court cited a lack of evidence, conflicting testimonies, and “love messages” sent by Brigitte after the alleged assault. However, during the appeals process, Brigitte’s lawyers argued that Ramadan had exerted significant “control” over her, suggesting she had experienced something akin to Stockholm syndrome.
The three appeals court judges highlighted “witness testimony, certificates, medical notes, and private expert opinions consistent with the facts presented by the plaintiff.” They concluded, “Elements collected during the investigation have thus convinced the chamber of the guilt of the accused.”
Ramadan, previously a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford, held visiting positions at universities in Qatar and Morocco. In 2017, rape allegations surfaced in France, prompting him to take a leave of absence during the height of the “Me Too” movement. In France, he faces accusations of raping three women between 2009 and 2016. His extensive legal team is currently challenging a Paris appeals court decision from June that allowed these cases to proceed to trial.
