In a significant ruling, the Royal Court of Justice in London has decided in favour of Brigadier (Retired) Rashid Naseer, declaring all allegations made against him by YouTuber Adil Raja as false and defamatory.

The judgment, delivered by Judge Richard Spearman, stated that Adil Raja failed to provide any credible evidence to support his accusations. The court found that Raja’s social media posts had caused serious damage to the reputation of the retired Pakistani army officer.

According to the verdict, Adil Raja has been ordered to pay £50,000 in damages to Brigadier (R) Rashid Naseer, along with £300,000 in legal and court expenses. The court made it clear that the case bore no connection to Pakistan’s military or intelligence institutions, describing it as a personal dispute between two individuals.

Rejecting Raja’s defence that his posts were made in the “public interest,” the court emphasized that freedom of expression cannot be used as a shield to defame others. Judge Spearman noted that the right to speak freely does not extend to spreading unverified and harmful accusations.

The verdict also dismissed Raja’s claims concerning the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, asserting that he failed to present any supporting evidence for his statements.

The trial began on July 21, 2025, and concluded with the court ruling that the YouTuber’s nine defamatory publications from 2022 had caused substantial reputational harm to Brigadier Naseer.

Legal observers have described the ruling as a landmark decision in reinforcing accountability for online defamation, especially concerning social media content creators who often blur the line between opinion and factual reporting.

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The case is being viewed as a warning that unverified allegations made online can have severe legal and financial repercussions.