Swiss court upholds Ramadan's rape conviction judgment

In a landmark decision, the Swiss Supreme Court has dismissed Tariq Ramadan's appeal against his conviction for rape and sexual coercion. The ruling, made by the Geneva Court of Justice in 2021, sentenced Ramadan to three years in prison, two of which were suspended.

The case dates back to 2008 when Ramadan, a former Oxford University professor, was accused of rape and sexual assault by a woman identified as "Brigitte" during a meeting in a Geneva hotel. Brigitte testified that Ramadan subjected her to rape and other violent sex acts in the hotel room during the night of October 28, 2008.

Ramadan claimed that Brigitte invited herself up to his room and that he was the victim of a "trap." However, the Swiss Supreme Court's decision to reject his appeal does not confirm Ramadan's innocence but does not undermine the truth asserted by the complainant.

This is the first guilty verdict against Tariq Ramadan, who faces a string of rape allegations in Switzerland and France. In France, Ramadan is due to stand trial next year over allegations that he raped three women between 2009 and 2016.

The institution that will request the conviction of Tariq Ramadan on suspicion of rape, as he is charged in France, is the French public prosecutor's office. They have brought charges against him, including rape and other sexual offenses.

Ramadan's lawyers, Yael Hayat and Guerric Canonica, have stated that they contest the decision by the Swiss supreme court. They have also announced their intention to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Brigitte, who filed her complaint 10 years later, feeling emboldened to come forward following similar complaints against Ramadan in France, hailed the supreme court decision as the end of a long ordeal and a long legal battle.

It is important to note that no prior context was provided about the Muslim Brotherhood founder's grandson being accused of rape and sexual assault. Ramadan was forced to take a leave of absence in 2017 when rape allegations surfaced in France during the "Me Too" movement.

Tariq Ramadan, a prominent figure in Islamic studies, held visiting roles at universities in Qatar and Morocco in addition to his position at Oxford. His conviction in Switzerland marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against him.