Paris Court Sentences Tariq Ramadan to 18 Years in Prison in Absentia for Rape

A court in Paris sentenced Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years in prison in absentia for raping three women between 2009 and 2016. An arrest warrant has been issued, but enforcement remains uncertain as Switzerland does not extradite its citizens. Ramadan denies the allegations but had admitted contact with the victims.

A court in Paris has sentenced Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan in absentia to 18 years in prison after finding him guilty of raping three women, in a case that has drawn widespread international attention and marked a significant development in his long-running legal battles.
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday evening, with the former professor at University of Oxford convicted on all three charges, which relate to incidents that allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2016. The verdict represents another major blow to Ramadan’s reputation, once that of a prominent academic and influential voice in contemporary Islamic thought.
Throughout the proceedings, Ramadan has consistently denied the rape allegations brought before the French court. However, he later acknowledged that he had been in contact with the women involved, a detail that became part of the broader legal examination of the case.
According to presiding judge Corinne Goetzmann, an arrest warrant has now been issued for the 63-year-old scholar. The sentence, however, cannot be enforced unless Ramadan is physically present in France, meaning that authorities must first secure his arrest before any prison term can begin.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a further restriction, banning Ramadan from entering French territory after serving his sentence. This adds another layer of consequence to the ruling, effectively barring him from the country for the foreseeable future.
Despite the court’s decision, uncertainties remain over how justice will be carried out. Switzerland, where Ramadan holds citizenship, does not extradite its nationals to other countries. This legal limitation complicates efforts by French authorities to bring him into custody and enforce the sentence.
The Paris ruling is not the first time Ramadan has faced legal consequences. In 2024, he was convicted in a separate rape and sexual assault case in Switzerland. The following year, Switzerland’s highest court upheld that conviction, confirming a three-year prison sentence, two years of which were suspended.
Ramadan did not attend the Paris trial in person. His legal team had stated that he was unable to appear due to a flare-up of multiple sclerosis, which they said required hospitalization in Geneva. However, a court-ordered medical evaluation rejected this claim, casting doubt on the justification for his absence.
Before the emergence of the sexual assault allegations during the height of the Me Too movement, Ramadan held a respected position in academic and intellectual circles. He served as a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford and also held visiting academic roles in countries such as Qatar and Morocco.
He is also known for his family background, being the grandson of Hassan al-Banna, who co-founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1920s. This lineage has often been referenced in discussions about his ideological positions and influence.
Over the years, critics have accused Ramadan of promoting a conservative and politically engaged interpretation of Islam, allegations he has repeatedly denied. He has consistently rejected claims of any links to extremist movements, maintaining that his work has been rooted in scholarly and intellectual engagement rather than political extremism.
The case continues to raise complex legal and diplomatic questions, particularly around enforcement of international sentences and the accountability of high-profile figures accused of serious crimes across national borders.