18 years in prison Swiss preacher Ramadan convicted of rape
The Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by the Paris criminal court for raping three women. The court ruled in absentia and in camera.
25.03.2026, 21:40
25.03.2026, 21:45
SDA
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- A Paris jury court has sentenced the controversial Swiss Islamic scholar and preacher Tariq Ramadan to 18 years in prison in absentia for rape.
- The court found the 63-year-old guilty of all three charges in the evening.
- Ramadan is currently in Geneva: Because Switzerland does not extradite its nationals, he has nothing to fear.
The preacher, who did not appear at his trial and is currently in Switzerland, is wanted by warrant and will be permanently deported from France after serving his sentence. He must also pay compensation to his victims. With its ruling, the court complied with the prosecution's demand.
However, the sentence can only be enforced if Ramadan is arrested in France. As Switzerland does not extradite its nationals to other countries, he has nothing to fear in this country for the time being.
Ramadan is a grandson of Hassan al-Banna, a co-founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. He advocates a European-Muslim identity. He has long been controversial and has been criticized as a mastermind of Islamism.
Ramadan stayed away from the trial
Tariq Ramadan allegedly raped three women in Lyon and Paris between 2009 and 2016. He spent ten months in custody as a result. Ramadan had always denied the allegations, but later admitted contact with the women. They described him as manipulative, dominant and brutal.
Ramadan, who is supposed to be in the greater Paris area according to a court order, did not appear in court at the start of the trial. He suffers from multiple sclerosis and had been admitted to a clinic in Geneva, his defense lawyer explained, referring to a medical certificate.
However, two medical experts appointed by the court later certified that the preacher was fit to stand trial and that his state of health was stable. However, he remained absent from the trial.
Rape also in Switzerland
In Switzerland, the Islamic scholar was convicted of rape and sexual assault in another case in August 2024. In the summer of 2025, the Federal Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Ramadan against the judgment of the Geneva Cantonal Court.
The judges had come to the conclusion that Ramadan was guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a woman with whom he had met in a Geneva hotel in October 2008. They sentenced Ramadan to three years in prison, one of which was suspended.
Are you or has someone you know been the victim of sexualized violence or cyberbullying?
You can find help here:
- Pro Juventute, counseling for children and young people, phone 147
- Network "Prevention of sexualized violence in the leisure sector"
- Dargebotene Hand, worry hotline, telephone 143
- Information and further links on the topic of cyberbullying
