H.E. Emmanuel Macron
The honourable President of the French Republic
55, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris, France

Mr. President,

We are hoping that this communication will find you in your best of health and spirits.

We, the concerned citizens from the United States of America, are writing you about the unjust detention of Dr. Professor Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss citizen imprisoned in France. The French authorities have held Oxford University Professor Dr. Tariq Ramadan since February 2, 2018 without due process, fair access from family members, and proper medical services needed for his medical conditions.

The legal treatment is unlike any other citizen for these allegations. The way he’s being held and treated in the French legal system is tarnishing the reputation of France. This situation violates basic French and European Union standards on human rights. In a recent petition filed on February 21, 2018 by prominent EU and U.S. professors, intellectuals, and thought-leaders outlines how the severity of the detention is far more greater than the charges brought against him. France, as a vanguard leader in protector of international human rights needs to uphold this standard in the case of Prof Dr. Ramadan.

Mr. President, to this end, this is a matter of highest urgency and we cannot overemphasize that the international community is:

1. Concerned about the treatment of Prof Dr. Tariq Ramadan and we ask that he be treated with fairness and equality as an EU citizen.
2. Watching this case very closely and as each day passes with Prof Dr. Tariq Ramadan’s incarceration it is dishonorable scar of injustice to France.
3. Strongly recommends that the domestic politics of the far-right parties, who are against immigrants and are leading a broader Islamophobic movement, not influence the core principles of France’s national motto of liberté, égalité, fraternité.

Mr. President, we ask that Professor Dr. Ramadan should be allowed to have immediate access to the following:

1. His family & close friends
2. Fair and just legal defense
3. Medical facilities according to his medical needs
4. Communication - phone calls, emails and internet as it is allowed to other detainees

Mr. President, we hope that you will consider the following:

1. Initiate an investigation into the obvious irregularities by police, prosecutors and the magistrate in this case
2. Appoint an oversight staff to this case from the Office of the President to ensure that Dr. Ramadan gets a fair trial as an EU citizen
3. Consider Dr. Ramadan's defense plea to release him from prison on bail, and;
4. Direct the Department of Justice to move Dr. Ramadan’s case from Paris to another province

Mr. President, we urge you to read this world petition filed by prominent professionals and personalities. These voices cannot be silenced and essentially they will determine how fairly the French legal system performed in this case.

https://blogs.mediapart.fr/les-invites-de-mediapart/blog/210218/tariq-ramadan-pour-une-justice-impartiale-et-egalitaire

The above petition seeking impartial and equal justice is signed by prominent professors from universities around the world as following:

Joan W. Scott, Professor Emeritus, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University

Sonia Dayan Herzbrun, Sociologist and Philosopher

Christine Delphy, Sociologist, Feminist Activist

Michelle Guerci, Journalist, Anti-racist Feminist

Alain Gresh, Journalist

Judith Bernard, Teacher, Film Director, Journalist

Michèle Sibony, Anti-racist Activist

Stéphanie Chevrier, Director of Don Quichotte publications

François Burgat, Political Analyst

Geneviève Rail, Feminist Activist, University of Concordia, Canada

Olivier Le Cour GrandMaison, Academic

Françoise Vergès, Political Analyst and Feminist Anti-racist Activist

Catherine Samary, Economist

Pr Ramon Grosfoguel, Professor, Berkeley University

Felwine Sarr, Writer, Economist

François Gèze, Publisher

Pr Stathis Kouvelakis, Political Theory, King's College, London

Pr Simon Saunders, Professor of Philosophy, Oxford University

Mireille Fanon Mendès-France, ex UN Expert, Legal Consultant

Marwan Muhammad, Author and Statisticien

Pr Kalypso Nicolaidis, Professor of International Relations, Oxford University

Eric Hazan, Publisher

Dominique Ziegler, Author, Film Director

Gustave Massiah, Economist

Nathalie Dollé, Journalist

Marie Lorraine Pradelles, Psychoanalyst

Aminata Traoré, Ex-Minister of Culture, Mali, Anti-Globalization Activist

Pr Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University

Nathan Lean, Writer and Researcher, Oxford University

Pr Sho Konishi, Associate Professor in Modern Japanese History, Oxford University

Pr Ian Neary, Professor in the Politics of Japan, Oxford University

Jean Daniel Belfond, Director of “Presses du Châtelet” et Archipel

Karen Armstrong, Author and Researcher in Comparative Religions

Jonathan AC Brown, Professor at the University of Georgetown, Washington D.C

Massimo Campanini, Historian in Islamic Philosophy, Italy

Didier Lestrade, Journalist and Writer

Pr John Esposito, Professor of Religion & International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Kristine Baker, Host, TV Presenter, Journalist and Author

Pr Walter Armbrust, University Lecturer in Modern Middle Eastern Studies, Oxford University

Pr Eugene Rogan, Professor of Modern History, Oxford University

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Pr Paul Betts, Professor of Modern History of Europe, Sussex University

Nadine Rosa Rosso,Teacher and activist

Hugh Whittaker, Director of the Nissan Japanese Institute, Oxford University

Pr Leigh A Payne, Sociology Professor, Oxford University

Ramon Sarro, Dean of St Antony College, Oxford University

Pr Jan Zielonka, Professor of European politics, Oxford University

Toby Matthiesen, Research Head, International Relations in the Middle East, Oxford University

Pr Khaled Abou El Fadl, Professor at the University of California

Ismahane Chouder, Feminist Activist MTE

Pr Richard Friedli, Professor, Comparative Study of Religion, Fribourg University

Malika Hamidi, Author and Sociologist

Nabil Ennasri, Doctor in Political Science

Fanny Bauer Motti, Doctor and Clinical Psychologist

Houria Bouteldja, Anti-racist Activist

Blondin Cissé, Philosopher and Conference Coordinator, Senegal

Farid Esack, Write, Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Johannesburg

Ebrahim Moosa, Professor of Islamic Studies, Notre-Dame University, Indiana

Abdourahmane Seck, Anthropologist and Historian

Mame Penda Ba, Political Science Professor at the University of Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis, Senegal

Cheikh Boikari Fofana, President of the Supreme Council of Imams, Ivory Coast

Farid Hafez, Chief of Religious Studies department, University of Johannesburg

Moussa Ibn Yacoub, Humanitarian Worker

Rachid Id Yassine, Sociologist

Ahmet Kavas, Diplomat

Doudou Jacques Faty, Professional football player

Salim Kerkar, Professional football player

Philippe Christanval, Past professional football player

Demba Ba, Professional football player

Thank you Mr. President, and we hope you will hear the above voices and you will direct your department of justice to do the right thing and be fair with the professor.

Accept, Excellency, the consideration of our highest esteem.

Respectfully,

Global Community in Support of Professor Dr. Tariq Ramadan