Retired Major Adil Raja, a prominent YouTuber, faced a setback in a defamation case against a retired army officer when a UK High Court judge dismissed his request for a stay and ordered him to pay £10,000 in damages.
The judge rejected all of Raja’s pleas, including his bid to halt the defamation trial initiated by Brigadier Rashid Naseer. The ruling stated that Raja had disseminated seriously defamatory remarks about Naseer across nine social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter/X.
Deputy High Court Judge Richard Spearman KC decreed that Raja must compensate the retired brigadier with £5,000 for the failed stay application, along with an additional interim payment of £5,000 for the unsuccessful security for costs application. Raja, as the defendant, was given until April 17, 2024, to fulfill this obligation.
Appearing remotely before the court with legal representation, Raja contested Naseer’s case on various grounds, all of which were ultimately dismissed. These included allegations regarding the nature of the Pakistani state and claims of election manipulation.
The court determined that nine of the ten publications by Raja constituted factual defamation against Naseer, rather than expressions of opinion. Naseer’s association with unsubstantiated allegations made by former Prime Minister Imran Khan further compounded the matter, with Khan’s assertions failing to withstand scrutiny.
In a separate motion, Raja sought £250,000 in security costs from Naseer due to his residence in Pakistan and litigation in the UK. However, the judge sided with Naseer’s legal team, who offered an undertaking to hold only £4,000 as security.
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