Tariq Ramadan, the rape-accused Islamic scholar who has been in custody in France since February 2, will remain in jail after a medical report showed his state of health is compatible with his continued detention.
Mr Ramadan’s lawyers had claimed his health deteriorated since he was detained in a Paris jail on rape charges. Based on an initial medical examination last week, they argued that his condition was “not compatible” with imprisonment.
Supporters of the Oxford University professor, whose grandfather founded the Muslim Brotherhood movement, said on Saturday that he had been taken to hospital for treatment of multiple sclerosis.
However, on Monday, the new medical report ordered by the French court found his health was compatible with him remaining in prison, French newspaper Le Monde reported.
The revelation of the diagnosis of Mr Ramadan’s previously unknown condition last week was seen in some quarters as being part of an explicit media strategy by his supporters. At the same time that the medical news was shared, a video was released of his wife, Iman Ramadan, in which she claimed that her husband had “had full confidence in justice and unfortunately [had] justice wronged him.”
She claimed that his family have not been allowed to visit or communicate with him by phone. “I’m not sure right now that he’s receiving a fair and just treatment,” she said.
French newspaper Liberation claimed that the release of the two new pieces of information showed "a diabolically efficient sense of timing by Mr Ramadan's supporters".
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Read more:
Jailed Tariq Ramadan hospitalised in France
Court orders medical tests as Tariq Ramadan reveals ‘multiple sclerosis’ diagnosis
Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to remain in custody in France
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Mr Ramadan, 55, has been charged with two alleged rapes after a string of damning accusations were made against him last year.
Author Henda Ayari claimed that she was sexually assaulted by Mr Ramadan at a congress of the Union of Islamic Organisations of France in 2012. A 40-year-old disabled woman, who is known by the alias “Christelle”, said the professor attacked her in a hotel in Lyon in 2009.
A judge ordered he should be detained ahead of his trial, based on fears that he could potentially flee the country and also to protect the women who had testified against him.
Mr Ramadan, who took a leave of absence from Oxford in November, denies the charges and claims they are part of a “campaign of lies launched by [his] adversaries”.
An online petition set up by his supporters calling for his release has been signed by more than 90,000 people.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
The specs
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Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
