Tariq Ramadan's defence claims he was victim of setup; seeks acquittal in rape case

Geneva: Lawyers representing Tariq Ramadan, the Islamic scholar, made their final plea for his acquittal on charges of rape and sexual coercion during the last day of his trial in Geneva.

The prosecution is seeking a three-year sentence, with half to be served in jail and the other half suspended. One of Ramadan's lawyers, Yael Hayat, passionately asserted that their sole objective was to convince the court of Ramadan's innocence, dismissing the allegations against him as baseless.

The case revolves around the accusation that Ramadan raped a woman, referred to as Brigitte in court, in a Geneva hotel room in October 2008. Ramadan, a prominent figure in European Islam, vehemently denies engaging in any sexual activity with Brigitte, claiming to be the victim of a setup.

Brigitte's lawyer characterized the alleged incident as an act of "torture and barbarism" and urged the judges to find Ramadan guilty. The verdict is scheduled to be announced on May 24. Ramadan's alleged association with political Islam has made him a controversial figure among secularists.

He obtained his doctorate from the University of Geneva, focusing on his grandfather's role in founding Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement. Previously, Ramadan held a position as a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University until November 2017 and had visiting roles at universities in Qatar and Morocco.

He went on leave when rape allegations emerged in France during the height of the "Me Too" movement, involving suspected assaults between 2009 and 2016.