Nearly 150 university professors, intellectuals, and activists from around the world have signed a letter addressed to France’s Justice Minister urging her “to put an immediate end to the masquerade of justice” against a Muslim academic.
The document, which was published on Thursday on the Mediapart website, urged Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet to immediately stop criminal proceedings against Swiss professor Tariq Ramadan.
The signatories say the process “has gone on far too long,” and say they are shocked by the judges’ “prejudices, lack of impartiality, and neglect of essential evidence.”
Ramadan, whose grandfather was the founder of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, is charged with raping at least four women. The 57-year-old father-of-four denies all allegations of wrongdoing.
They also object to the appointment of Dr Daniel Zagury as a psychiatric expert to investigate whether Ramadan psychologically manipulated the alleged victims.
The signatories believe that Dr Zagury has a “clear conflict of interests,” citing his association with a pro-Zionist group.
Released in November 2018, after almost 10 months of detention, Ramadan handed over his Swiss and British passports and is prohibited from leaving France.
