Tariq Ramadan has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Washington, USA, in the latest in a string of damning allegations against the prominent Islamic scholar.
According to French newspaper Libération, the complaint, which refers to an alleged incident dating back to 2013, was filed last month with Washington police. The complainant, a 30-year-old Muslim American, now lives in Kuwait and has requested to remain anonymous.
Mr Ramadan, an Oxford University professor whose grandfather founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement, was detained on February 2 over charges he raped two women in France, which he denies.
Last week, a third woman, who wants to remain anonymous and uses the pseudonym "Marie", claimed to have suffered multiple rapes in France, Brussels and London between 2013 and 2014.
The latest complaint, concerning the alleged incident in Washington, is the first to emerge outside of Europe. There is not yet a prosecution, and an investigation is ongoing.
The complaint does not mention Mr Ramadan's identity, but a police source contacted by Libération confirmed that it is aimed at the 55-year-old Swiss theologian.
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According to Libération, the woman, who worked for the US Department of Defence, first started corresponding with Mr Ramadan via Facebook in March 2012.
They met at a conference in Washington in August 2013, where the woman suggested going for lunch. However, she eventually agreed to meet him in a hotel room at around 2 a.m. on 31 August 2013.
It was at this point that she claims Mr Ramadan sexually assaulted her. She accuses him of placing his genitals against her chest, and insists it was against her will.
Mr Ramadan's lawyer Jonas Haddad confirmed to Libération that he has been in touch with the complainant from the US. "I was in touch with her about two months ago through American sources," he said. The discussions, he added, centred around the possible procedure to be initiated in the US.
A police source in the US capital told Libération that the investigation is ongoing. If there is sufficient evidence to recommend an indictment, then it will be up to the federal prosecutor to decide whether to launch a lawsuit against Mr Ramadan on behalf of the District of Columbia.
Mr Ramadan remains in custody in Fleury-Mérogis prison, Essonne, as French authorities judge him a flight risk.
His two initial accusers went to police in late October, both alleging that he had raped them in French hotel rooms.
Henda Ayari, 41, said she decided to accuse him publicly after the "Me Too" campaign against sexual abuse and harassment encouraged her to speak out.
Ms Ayari, a feminist activist who previously practised a conservative strain of Islam, says Mr Ramadan raped her in a Paris hotel room in 2012.
The second accuser, a disabled woman, alleges that Mr Ramadan raped her and beat her in a hotel in the southeastern city of Lyon in 2009.
A court dismissed a bid by Mr Ramadan last month to be released on health grounds, after his lawyers argued his multiple sclerosis and nerve damage could not be adequately treated behind bars.
A professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford, Mr Ramadan has been on leave since November after the allegations emerged.
One of European Islam's best-known figures, he has dismissed the accusations against him as a smear campaign by his enemies and his lawyers argue there are inconsistencies in the women's accounts.
The specs
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Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
How to wear a kandura
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Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
