A court in Paris has sentenced Tariq Ramadan, a former professor of Islamic studies at Oxford University, to 18 years in prison for sexually assaulting three women.

According to local sources, the sentence was issued after reviewing multiple cases against him.

Ramadan, who is the grandson of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, was previously sentenced to prison in Switzerland two years ago for rape.

The case is one of the most controversial in recent years, and has drawn widespread international attention.