Pakistani Court Acquits Man in Cybercrime Case Linked to UK Riots

A Pakistani court has acquitted Farhan Asif of cybercrime charges linked to the spread of false online information that incited riots in the UK. Asif was accused of falsely blaming a Muslim immigrant for a knife attack in Southport. The court found no evidence of illegal activity against him.

A Pakistani court on Monday acquitted a local man of cybercrime offences involving the spread of fake online information which fuelled riots in Britain, his lawyer confirmed.

The riots erupted after false information circulated online wrongly blaming an Islamist migrant for the killing of three young girls in Southport, northern England, in late July. Farhan Asif, who managed a web publication, was arrested in Lahore last week and charged by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). "He has been absolved in the investigation," his lawyer Rana Rizwan Akhtar told Reuters TV, stating the agency found no evidence to support his involvement in any illegal activity.

The court acquitted Asif after the agency submitted its report. Asif had cooperated fully, providing access to his social media accounts and devices. The case against him alleged he posted an article on his X social media account falsely claiming the attacker was a Muslim immigrant and sharing pictures of the crime scene.

(With inputs from agencies.)