A court in Paris has sentenced prominent Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years in jail for raping three women, marking a significant escalation in a case that has unfolded over several years.
The French rape case unfolded in 2017, when two of the women came forward during the #MeToo campaign against sexual abuse and harassment. Ramadan, 63, a former professor at Oxford, was absent during the trial and has consistently denied the charges.
His legal team argues that he is suffering from multiple sclerosis, blaming his failure to appear at court on health issues, and condemned the proceedings as unfair.
Judge Corinne Goetzmann highlighted the seriousness of the offenses, stating that the acts committed warranted the substantial prison term. She emphasized that consenting to sex does not equate to consenting to all sexual acts.
During the proceedings, one of the accusers, Henda Ayari, expressed relief that her testimony was taken seriously, recounting her struggles since coming forward with her account of sexual abuse.
Other allegations against Ramadan include a 2009 incident in Lyon and a separate 2008 incident in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was previously convicted. Following his conviction, Ramadan is also facing a permanent ban from entering France.
He has declared his intent to seek a new trial and insists he has been the victim of political motivations aimed at discrediting him as a Muslim intellectual.
