Sawt Falasteen - Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan goes on trial over alleged rape

Ramadan told the judges that he let himself be kissed by his accuser but firmly insisted there were no sexual relations between them.

The Swiss intellectual, a charismatic yet controversial figure in European Islam, could face two to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Sometimes smiling and sometimes tetchy, Ramadan did not hide his emotions during the first day of his trial at the Geneva Criminal Court.

The Swiss complainant, who says she has faced threats and therefore wishes to be known under the assumed name of "Brigitte", is a convert to Islam.

She was in her 40s at the time of the alleged attack on October 28, 2008.

In a Geneva hotel room, Ramadan, 60, is accused of having subjected her to brutal sexual acts accompanied by beatings and insults.

In court, a screen was placed between Ramadan and Brigitte at her request, so that they could not see each other.

- 'Extremely insistent' -

Ramadan said he had not told Brigitte that he was in Geneva and insisted that she had invited him for a coffee, and then invited herself to his hotel room, having sent him a string of messages.

Asked by a judge why he accepted the invitation, he replied: "I got these messages from someone who says they've met me before; I don't remember. She has a nice way with words, she's smart. Like any man, one can be intrigued."

"It's not a philosophical or sentimental meeting. It's curiosity about a woman who is extremely insistent on seeing me," he continued.

Suffering from depression and multiple sclerosis, Ramadan said he wanted to "fight" against what he called the "lies and manipulation" in the case.

He insisted he had "never sexually assaulted anyone".

His children were in court to see him give evidence.

Ramadan's defence revealed that it intends to call the controversial French comedian Dieudonne to give evidence on Tuesday.

According to the indictment, he is accused of committing rape three times during the night, and "sexual coercion" to the point of suffocation. Ramadan denies the allegations.

The trial is expected to last three days. The verdict will be delivered on May 24, and Ramadan will be able to appeal if convicted.

- Permission to leave France -

Controversial among secularists who see him as a supporter of political Islam, Ramadan obtained his doctorate from the University of Geneva, with his thesis focused on his grandfather, who founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement.

He was a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Britain's prestigious Oxford University until November 2017, and held visiting roles at universities in Qatar and Morocco.

He was forced to take a leave of absence when rape allegations surfaced in France at the height of the "Me Too" movement, over suspected attacks in France between 2009 and 2016.

Brigitte filed a complaint with the Geneva courts in April 2018.

The Swiss investigation moved slowly, as Ramadan was initially in pre-trial detention in Paris and could not be questioned by the Swiss authorities.

After he was released in November 2018, he was put on probation and barred from leaving France.

However, he has exceptional authorisation to cross the border into Switzerland for the Geneva trial.

I.Matar--SF-PST