A French criminal court has sentenced Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, the grandson of Hasan al-Banna, to 18 years in prison after convicting him of rape, according to a ruling issued Wednesday in Paris, reports France 24.
The court delivered the sentence in absentia following a closed hearing, finding Ramadan guilty of raping three women, including one described as being in a vulnerable condition.
The case marks a major development in a series of legal proceedings against the Swiss-born academic that have unfolded across Europe in recent years.
Presiding judge Corinne Goetzmann stated during the procedings that “consent to a sexual relationship does not mean consent to any sexual act whatsoever,” moting the court’s reasoning in reaching its verdict.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a permaban preventing Ramadan from entering French territory after serving his sentence. Judges also upheld an arrest warrant issued on March 6, ensuring that authorities can detain him if he is located. The ruling includes further restrictions.
Ramadan has been barred from contacting the victims and will be subject to judicial supervision for eight years. The court also prohibited him from publishing books, producing audiovisual material, or making public statements related to the crimes. Ramadan had been on trial in Paris since early March over allegations that he raped three women between 2009 and 2016.
The case in France follows a prior conviction in Switzerland, where Ramadan was found guilty of raping a woman in a separate incident. French authorities proceeded with the trial despite his absence
The court delivered the sentence in absentia following a closed hearing, finding Ramadan guilty of raping three women, including one described as being in a vulnerable condition.
The case marks a major development in a series of legal proceedings against the Swiss-born academic that have unfolded across Europe in recent years.
Presiding judge Corinne Goetzmann stated during the procedings that “consent to a sexual relationship does not mean consent to any sexual act whatsoever,” moting the court’s reasoning in reaching its verdict.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a permaban preventing Ramadan from entering French territory after serving his sentence. Judges also upheld an arrest warrant issued on March 6, ensuring that authorities can detain him if he is located. The ruling includes further restrictions.
Ramadan has been barred from contacting the victims and will be subject to judicial supervision for eight years. The court also prohibited him from publishing books, producing audiovisual material, or making public statements related to the crimes. Ramadan had been on trial in Paris since early March over allegations that he raped three women between 2009 and 2016.
The case in France follows a prior conviction in Switzerland, where Ramadan was found guilty of raping a woman in a separate incident. French authorities proceeded with the trial despite his absence
