Ramadan faces Geneva rape allegation

Ramadan's Paris supporters protested about his incarceration on March 24 Keystone

Swiss academic Tariq Ramadan is facing another allegation of rape after a criminal complaint was handed in to the Public Prosecutor in Geneva, Swiss media have confirmed.

The complaint concerns an incident that happened ten years ago, and the allegations are not time-barred, Romain Jordan, the complainant’s lawyer, told the Swiss news agency SDA-ATS, confirming a report in the newspaper Tribune de GenèveExternal link. The incident is said to have taken place in a Geneva hotel. The complaint was filed on Friday, the news agency and other media reported.

Contacted by Swiss public radio RTSExternal link, Ramadan’s Geneva lawyer said she had no knowledge of the complaint. Yaël Hayat said that Ramadan’s right to privacy had been violated because the serious allegations had been aired without him being informed of the complaint beforehand.

The Swiss scholar was imprisoned in France 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.

+ Read more about the accusations against Ramadan

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.