Tariq Ramadan faces Swiss judges again in appeal trial
The theologian is accused of raping a woman in October 2008 but has always maintained his innocence, explaining that the woman had been rejected and hurt.
KEYSTONE / VALENTIN FLAURAUD
The 61-year-old Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, who was acquitted of rape and sexual coercion, will be back before judges in Geneva on Monday. The public prosecutor's office and the plaintiff had appealed against the court’s decision last year.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
As the judges of the correctional court were unable to determine the guilt of the accused “beyond all reasonable doubt,” they acquitted Tariq Ramadan at the end of a tense, high-profile trial. According to the criminal court, there was a lack of material evidence in the case.
The theologian was accused of rape by a woman, now aged 58, which allegedly occurred in October 2008 in a hotel room in Geneva. The plaintiff described a night of “beating,” during which she claims that Tariq Ramadan hit her, insulted her and sexually abused her for several hours.
More
More
Tariq Ramadan: Swiss court clears Islamic scholar of rape charges
This content was published on
The Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan, who was accused of “rape and sexual coercion”, has been cleared by a Geneva court.
Ramadan has always maintained his innocence, claiming never to have had a sexual relationship with the woman. During the trial, he explained that he had been the victim of a woman who had been rejected and hurt. The prosecution had requested a three-year sentence, of which 18 months would be in prison.
The appeal trial, which will take place in a small room at the Palais de Justice, is scheduled to continue until Wednesday. Judgement is not expected for several weeks.
Proceedings in France
Four women have also accused Tariq Ramadan of rape in France between 2009 and 2016. He has not yet been tried. At this stage, the public prosecutor has asked that only one charge of aggravated rape, involving violence, be retained. A decision is expected at the end of June on the continuation of the proceedings in France.
Ramadan is the grandson of the Egyptian founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan el-Banna. His father Saïd fled to Switzerland in 1954. Ramadan taught for a number of years in Geneva before becoming a public figure capturing the interest of a section of young Muslims with his speeches and oratory skills.
Adapted from French by DeepL/dkk/ac
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Identities
Switzerland’s most renowned trans person no longer wants to be a woman
Legal changes coming into force in Switzerland on February 1
This content was published on
Preventive regulation of the wolf population, rules for the import of dog puppies and higher minimum wages in the hospitality industry. On February 1, changes to laws and ordinances as well as other innovations come into force in Switzerland. Here is an overview:
International hot air balloon festival claims the skies of canton Vaud
This content was published on
After a windy first day, the International Balloon Festival in Château-d'Oex (VD) took off on Sunday. Dozens of hot-air balloons took to the skies over the Vaud Alps.
This content was published on
Switzerland is excluded by the US from the allied countries for unlimited access to chips required for artificial intelligence.
An award-winning documentary at the Solothurn Film Festival
This content was published on
Eleonora Camizzi's documentary "Bilder im Kopf" (Images in Mind) won the Prix Visioni at the Solothurn Film Festival on Saturday evening. The prize, worth 20,000 Swiss francs, is one of three major awards at the film festival.
Liberal Greens join launch of initiative on parental leave
This content was published on
The Liberal Greens (PVL) together with an alliance of representatives from economic, social and political circles are launching an initiative for an 18-week "family leave." This was decided today by delegates meeting in Thun (BE).
Palestinian solidarity demonstration draws 2,000 people in Geneva
This content was published on
About 2,200 people took to the streets in Geneva today to show solidarity with the Palestinian poopolo and to denounce Swiss policy in the Middle East. The demonstration had been called by the BDS ("boycott, désinvestissement et sanctions") organization.
The 13th edition of Art Genève takes over Palexpo from Thursday
This content was published on
The 13th edition of Art Genève takes place at Palexpo from Thursday to Sunday. A total of 81 international modern and contemporary art galleries will be exhibiting their works. Also on show: 22 institutional projects.
First day of balloon festival in Château d’Oex cancelled
This content was published on
The first day of the International Balloon Festival in Château-d'Oex (VD) has been cancelled due to wind, organizers announced on Saturday. However, entertainment and captive flights will continue.
Swiss survey finds employee productivity rises with sense of belonging
This content was published on
A good team increases productivity. 81% of employees in Switzerland perform better when they feel a sense of community with their colleagues.
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.