Ex-ISI Brigadier Wins Defamation Case Against YouTuber Adil Raja in UK Court

LONDON: Former ISI officer **Brigadier (Retd) Rashid Naseer** has won a **landmark defamation case** against Pakistani YouTuber **Adil Raja** in the **London High Court**, with the court ruling that Raja’s allegations were **false, defamatory, and baseless**.

According to court documents, **Justice Richard Spearman KC** declared that Adil Raja had **maliciously defamed Brigadier (Retd) Rashid Naseer** through **nine defamatory posts** published on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. The court ordered Adil Raja to pay **£50,000 (approximately PKR 2 crore)** in damages and **£300,000 (over PKR 11 crore)** in legal costs.

Additionally, the court instructed Raja to **publish a summary of the judgment** across all his media platforms, clearly stating that his allegations against Rashid Naseer were **false and defamatory**, and that Naseer had won the case. Raja has also been **barred from repeating the false accusations** in any future publications.

The lawsuit was filed after Raja accused Rashid Naseer of **interfering in the Lahore High Court**, **rigging elections**, **bribing politicians**, and **manipulating police forces** to support political candidates. He also claimed that Naseer became a billionaire for allegedly playing a role in **Pakistan’s regime change operations**.

During the hearings, held from **June 22 to June 27, 2025**, the court found **no credible evidence** to support Raja’s claims. Justice Spearman noted that Raja **failed to verify his sources** and that his witnesses — including **Shaheen Sehbai, Shehzad Akbar, and Syed Akbar Hussain** — offered **no firsthand knowledge** of Naseer’s alleged corruption.

The court further dismissed Raja’s claim that his statements were made in the **public interest**, calling his conduct “reckless and defamatory.”

In his reaction after the verdict, **Brigadier (Retd) Rashid Naseer** said:

> “This decision is a reminder that truth always prevails over lies — whether in Pakistan or anywhere else. Those who spread venom and chaos for personal gain cannot defend their deceit in any court of law. This is not just my victory, but a victory for every person who has been maliciously targeted by false propaganda.”

The judge also rejected Raja’s references to the **Arshad Sharif murder fact-finding report**, confirming that it **did not implicate the ISI** in the journalist’s death — contradicting Raja’s earlier claims.

With the judgment, Adil Raja faces a **financial penalty of around £350,000 (PKR 13 crore)**, a **public apology**, and an undertaking **not to repeat defamatory statements**.