Geneva investigation opens after Tariq Ramadan accused of rape
Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan delivers a speech during a meeting of French Muslim organisations in Lille, northern France on February 7, 2016.
Keystone
The Geneva Attorney General’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, according to reports. In April, a Swiss woman filed a criminal complaint in Geneva for rape against Ramadan, who is being held in custody in France on similar allegations.
After five months of investigation, a Geneva prosecutor considered the complaint to be sufficiently serious, and opened an investigation against the prominent Swiss academic in early September, the Tribune de Genève newspaper revealed on Sunday.
The Geneva Attorney General’s Office has upheld the charges of rape and sexual coercion. The victim’s lawyer, Romain Jordan, confirmed this information to Swiss public radio, RTS.
The allegation by the unnamed Swiss woman, a convert to Islam, relates to an alleged incident at a Geneva hotel in October 2008, the Tribune de Geneve has reported. The woman was about 40 at the time.
The complainant has since been interviewed by the local police. They then conducted a preliminary investigation and report for prosecutor Adrian Holloway, who has decided to open a criminal investigation.
Holloway may travel to France in the coming weeks to interview Ramadan, who has been in prison since February. Lawyers from both sides are expected to attend this hearing, RTS said.
France
The Swiss scholar was imprisoned in France in February over rape allegations made in that country, after two women’s complaints led to a criminal investigation. A third rape allegation was filed in February.
In addition, Ramadan is accused of having had inappropriate relations with several students whilst teaching at a Geneva-area school. The canton has called in two experts to conduct an external investigation into the allegations.
Ramadan denies all allegations against him.
Married with four children, he is a grandson of Hasan al-Banna, an Islamist thinker and activist who founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. He enjoys a substantial following among young Muslims and has challenged French restrictions on wearing veils.
Ramadan took a leave of absence from his professorship at Britain’s Oxford University last November after the first two women filed complaints against him in France alleging rape.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Switzerland no longer wants to foot the bill for ‘suicide tourism’
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Switzerland has no US-style fentanyl problem, says health minister
This content was published on
There is very little chance of a US-sized fentanyl epidemic in Switzerland, says health minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.
This content was published on
Two fish species recently discovered in Switzerland have been called fluvicola and ommata, following an appeal to the public for names.
Convicted ex-shipowner achieves partial success in Swiss court
This content was published on
The Federal Supreme Court orders lower court to reassess part of its verdict against former Swiss shipowner Hans-Jürg Grunder.
This content was published on
A Swiss moratorium on the genetic engineering of plants, which expires at the end of 2025, could be extended for five years.
SWISS airline achieves second-best profit in history
This content was published on
Revenues soared for Swiss International Air Lines in 2024, contributing to the second-largest profit in the company's history.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Ramadan admits to relationship with rape accuser
This content was published on
Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan has admitted he had relations with one of the five women who have accused him of rape. The woman involved is a 45-year-old French national and former escort who was also cited in the Lille Carlton case involving former French Socialist Party minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who has since been acquitted. She…
This content was published on
Tariq Ramadan faces another allegation of rape after a criminal complaint was handed in to the Public Prosecutor in Geneva, Swiss media confirm.
This content was published on
The role of the canton’s education department in the affair will also be probed following allegations that some students had raised the alarm between 1984 and 2004 when the Islamic scholar taught in the area. Ramadan is currently in prison in Paris facing three accusations of rape. In November a Swiss newspaper reported allegations of…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.