Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan goes on trial in Paris accused of raping three women

"Ramadan, 63, was a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at the University of Oxford before taking a leave of absence in 2017 when rape allegations were first made against him. He took early retirement from Oxford in June 2021. Ramadan is accused of the rape of three women. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison."

"Henda Ayari, 41, a former Salafist Muslim who is now a feminist campaigner, went to the police in 2017 to accuse Ramadan of rape, sexual violence, harassment and intimidation. She said he raped her in a hotel room in the east of Paris in the spring of 2012 during a conference where he was speaking."

"At the start of the investigation in 2017, Ramadan, who is married with four children, denied any form of sexual encounter with the first two women. In 2018, he changed his account, telling investigating judges that he did have sexual relations with Ayari and Christelle, but that they had sought the encounters and fully consented to the dominant-submissive relationship."

Tariq Ramadan, a 63-year-old Swiss academic and former Oxford professor, stands trial in Paris on rape charges involving three women. The allegations span from 2009 to 2016. Henda Ayari, a feminist campaigner, accused Ramadan of rape in a Paris hotel during a 2012 conference. A second woman, identified as Christelle, reported rape in a Lyon hotel in October 2009 during another conference. A third woman filed complaints regarding a 2016 incident. Initially denying sexual contact, Ramadan later claimed consensual dominant-submissive relationships. The case represents a significant #MeToo movement repercussion in France. Ramadan took leave from Oxford in 2017 and retired in 2021.

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