UK court imposes £350,000 penalty on Adil Raja in defamation case

Finds Raja’s remarks 'inflammatory, damaging' to Brigadier Naseer’s reputation

The High Court in London 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 the High Court's King's Bench Division ordered Adil Raja to pay £50,000 in damages and an additional £300,000 in court and legal costs, besides directing him to immediately stop publishing false statements and issue a written apology.

The detailed judgment states that Raja had made “serious and deliberately false” accusations against Brigadier Naseer on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, without offering any credible evidence. The court found that 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 as 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.

“The truth has exposed the lies, and this verdict is a victory for truth," said Brigadier Naseer, after the verdict was announced. 

Case history

In earlier proceedings, the court had already ruled that Raja’s social media statements were defamatory and lacked factual basis. The judge found that Raja had made the remarks “as matters of fact, not opinion,” and had failed to provide any credible evidence to support them. Raja’s attempts to halt the trial and his claims that Pakistan’s judiciary and intelligence agencies controlled the proceedings were also dismissed by the court.

The High Court’s final ruling — delivered by Judge Richard Spearman — stated that Raja’s allegations were “false, inflammatory, and intended to harm Brigadier Naseer’s reputation.” The court ordered Raja to pay £50,000 in damages and £300,000 in legal costs, along with issuing an apology and refraining from further defamatory publications.

The verdict marks the latest development in a long-running legal and reputational battle for Raja, who has previously faced reports of arrest in London for inciting hatred against state institutions and property seizure orders by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad for provoking violence through online content.