Tariq Ramadan, a prominent Islamic scholar, has been released on bail after being held in detention for nearly 10 months over charges of sexual assault, his lawyer said on November 15.
A Paris Court of Appeal granted the 56-year-old Swiss academic bail even as the investigation into the case continues. “Where would I flee to,” he asked during his hearing, his first public appearance since the arrest in February.
His bail was set at 300,000 euros ($340,000) and it requires him to hand over his passport and report to police once a week.
Ramadan, who is accused of rape on two separate counts, has long denied having sexual relations with the plaintiffs. One accuser is a disabled woman identified in media reports as Christelle, and the other is a feminist activist, Henda Ayari.
In the court on November 15, Ramadan said he did not intend to become a fugitive from the law, adding his multiple sclerosis meant he couldn’t walk properly. “I will remain in France and defend my honour and my innocence,” he told the judges in what was his fourth bid to secure freedom. “I would like you to make your decision from your conscience, not because my name is Tariq Ramadan and I’m demonised in this country.”
His lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny reportedly said, “Ramadan’s release… demonstrated that the rape accusations against him were lies.”
Once hailed as a religious reformer, Ramadan’s career has been brought to a halt since his arrest earlier this year.
He portrayed his accusers as liars bending media attention in the case to their benefit, asking: “Who has instrumentalised the ‘Me Too’ movement?” His supporters have also strenuously rejected the allegations, characterising them as part of a concerted effort to defame the academic.
A number of witness statements submitted to the judges by the criminal brigade section reveal involvement of Caroline Fourest, Alain Soral, Jean-Claude Elfassi and Ian Hamel, Tariq Ramadan’s sworn enemies.
Another worrying element is that several central examinations in the case are still inexplicably pending. This is the case for “Christelle’s” photo added to the file in April 2018 which could prove she was present at a lecture given by Tariq Ramadan. In addition to this photo, the file reveals “Christelle” mentioned to the first doctor examining her in November 2017 that she was at the professor’s conference. She then denied this later in her declarations. Many witnesses also claimed to have seen her at the conference. This photo is a centrepiece of “Christelle’s” lies.
These central elements on hold in the file underline a procedural orientation that is not neutral and raises many questions in France and in the international community.