A UK court has ruled in favour of former Pakistani military officer Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer in a high-profile defamation case against YouTuber and former army officer Major (retd) Adil Farooq Raja, declaring Raja’s allegations “false, baseless, and malicious.”
Justice Richard Spearman of London’s High Court (LHC) ordered Adil Raja to pay £50,000 in damages and an additional £300,000 in court and legal costs, while also directing him to immediately stop publishing false statements and issue a written apology.
The detailed judgment found that Raja had made “serious and deliberately false” accusations against Brigadier Naseer through Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, without offering any credible evidence. The court said Raja’s remarks were “inflammatory and intended to damage Brigadier Naseer’s reputation and manipulate public perception,” adding that they had caused particular harm within the British Pakistani community.
Justice Spearman observed that freedom of expression does not extend to spreading unfounded allegations and said the case would serve as a legal precedent for online defamation, confirming that social media posts can be admissible evidence in such proceedings.
Brigadier Naseer’s legal team presented what the court described as “credible and consistent evidence,” leading to a decisive ruling in their favour. Following the verdict, Brigadier Naseer said, “The truth has exposed the lies, and this verdict is a victory for truth.”
