Judge acquits web dev accused of spreading fake news that led to UK riots A Pakistani court on Monday acquitted a man of cyber terrorism charges after he allegedly spread fake news on social media websites that sparked riots across the UK earlier this month. Farhan Asif, a 32-year-old freelance web developer, was arrested last week at his home in Lahore, Pakistan, and held for five days of …
Channel3now claims to have been quoting Bernadette Spofforth, known conspiracy theorist, anti-vax, anti-lockdown, global warming denialist[1] who was "mortified" that the news she got from elsewhere was false[2], but she couldn't remember where she got it from.
This is most unfortunate for a person who has been platformed as an expert by the likes of Julia Hartley-Brewer, Neil Oliver and Dan Wootton.
1. TFA states, "... allegedly spread fake news on social media ..." He's been to court. Did not the court decide:
(a) the man did spread fake news on social media, and,
(b) he did not meet the legal test(s) to be found guilty of cyberterrorism under Pakistani law?
If 1(a) is true, why is TFA's author using the word "allegedly"? Isn't it a procen fact?
2. The author uses the word "reportedly" twice while referring to the court procedings. Is there a question about whether those events truly happened or not? Isn't there a court reporter's record which unambiguously shows whether those events in court happened, or not? Was the court record run through some ambiguity/inaccuracy-generating process, such as Google Translate or (gods forfend) a generative AI/ML system?
Vast majority of people are not in a position to fact check news sources. If they see something elsewhere and "pass it on", then fault arguably lies further up the chain of misinformation.
Plus, you can reasonably argue that the postings of some random non entity on the internet should be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt. The internet is full of lies and BS, anyone with a brain cell knows to not believe everything they encounter online.
Not that the press are always authoritative - .look at fiascos such as the Hitler diaries (press easily duped, aided by inept famous historians that maybe should have spent less time devoting themselves to developing a big media profile & more effort at being vaguely competent at their jobs) https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/diary-of-the-hitler-diary-hoax
And in terms of serious accusations, let's not forget the "quality" UK press false accusations in the Jill Dando case, that blighted the life of a bloke who was a bit of a misfit*, but innocent of any crime
https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/nationals/barry-george-wins-libel-damages-from-now-and-the-sun/
* if being a misfit was enough for the press to "convict" you, a big chunk of El Reg readership probably at risk!
When are we due to hear something extremely similar in the UK, because it is not any different .....
Judge jails new Prime Minister and senior Cabinet ministers accused of spreading fake news and false promises to secure a General Election victory, immediately dishonoured afterwards, .... warning that such words have criminal powers that easily naturally result in civil unrest, riot and revolutionary activity.
Whenever justice is not served, the law and order professions quickly lose their peers’ respect and be extraordinarily rendered and recognised as no better than asses ...... and that is not a good look ?
Maybe because I'm not there and was only paying attention from a distance, but I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
Is there perhaps a summary, written by someone vaguely credible, that you could point me to?
Extremely sure.
When UK.gov is locking people up for years for saying a few hurty words on a private Facebook page, you know the situation is fucked beyond recognition.
When actual violent criminals are being released onto the streets to make room for these people, you know the situation is fucked beyond recognition.
When there is a 2-tier justice system that is clearly and obviously biased with full support of the Establishment, you know the situation is fucked beyond recognition.
Welcome to Starlin's Britain. Toe the Party line Comrade, if you know what's good for you.
Early release plans started month before the recent riots.
Because British jails are overcrowded. Because the justice system in the UK is historically underfunded for decades. Because spending on prison facilities or proper legal representation for the accused is portrayed as being soft on crime/pampering prisoners/paying do-gooder lawyers rather than developing a system that can quickly process alleged crimes, avoid miscarriage of justice, then detain and rehabilitate the offenders. The greatest deterrent is visible swift justice not extending sentences.
Yes I have been reading the Secret Barrister.
Lawson Natty. Convicted in 2022 for his part in the machete killing of 14 year old Gordon Gault. He brought the machete, and held down the victim while his accomplice slashed and stabbed him to death.
He received a pitifully short sentence to begin with, and will now be released early due to overcrowding. To make room for - amongst others, Wayne O’Rourke; sentenced to three years (four months longer than Lawson Natty) for saying some hurty words on Facebook. And Jamie Michael, an ex Royal Marine - who has also been sentenced to three years for posting on his own, private Facebook page what he believed should happen to the to the Syrian asylum seeker who slashed people’s throats in Germany, killing three.
Anybody who fails to be sickened by what’s happening in the UK right now needs their head looking at.
Convicted earlier this year for manslaughter in 2022 when they were 17.
Sentencing remarks " ..Natty, as I have indicated, I adopt a starting point of 4 years’ detention for the offence of manslaughter which I notionally increase to 6 years to reflect the conviction for count 2 and the other aggravating factors. I reduce that figure back to 4 years to reflect the very significant mitigating factors in your case and apply a further discount of one-third to reflect your age and immaturity at the time of the offences, resulting in a sentence of 2 years and 8 months or 32 months’ detention in a Young Offender Institution. This is the shortest possible sentence I can impose having regard to the seriousness of the offence. For count 2, there will be a sentence of 12 months Detention, to be served concurrently. Of the sentence of 32 months’ detention that I have imposed you will serve no more than half, namely 16 months less the time spent on remand, in custody. Ordinarily you would then be released into the community on licence until the end of the sentence, but in your case, since you are a foreign national, and since I have imposed a qualifying sentence, you are liable in principle to automatic deportation to your country. The earliest point at which you may be deported will be on completion of the custodial part of this sentence and before you are released on licence. However, there may be a delay in your case in the operation of the automatic deportation provisions or there may be a particular reason in your case why the provisions do not apply to you at all, in which case you will be released into the community on licence. In that event you must comply with all conditions of your licence until the end of this sentence, or your deportation, whichever comes first, failing which you may be recalled to custody. "
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Natty-and-Neto-Sentencing-Remarks.pdf
This post has been deleted by its author
Ah thank you; I misstated, The offence was in 2022, and he was convicted this year. That of course makes it even worse that he is already being released after a mere six months in custody.
It's vile beyond words whichever way you swing it; he was materially and actively involved in the particularly vicious killing of a young boy, has spent mere months in prison and will now be free to go back into the world.
I cannot fathom the depths of disgust, shock and abject misery of Gordon's parents, knowing they will never see their boy grow up and this... scum... has been let off. I wouldn't be at all surprised if somewhere along the line, someone takes it upon themselves to mete out the appropriate justice instead of this farce.
The law is clearly and undeniably NOT working: nor is it being applied equally. In this context it is vicious and unfair. You’ll note that the sentencing comments include the statement ”This is the shortest possible sentence I can impose having regard to the seriousness of the offence” - ergo a deliberate decision to minimise the sentence for the machete killing of an innocent boy as much as possible.
The sentence imposed for posting hurty words, by contrast, attracted the harshest and most severe custodial sentence allowable by law - a sentence which significantly exceeded that of an actual murder.
Your comments read as an attempt to justify. If this isn’t your intention then I suggest you cease trying to “explain”, and simply accept that regardless of how the law should work in theory, it has manifestly failed to do so in this case.
Wayne O'Rourke wasn't sentenced "for saying some hurty words on Facebook". He was sentenced for actively, purposely and deliberately inciting violence on Xitter.
He wasn't misgendering someone, he was calling on the "people of Southport" to "get out on the street" in front of 90,000 followers.
And Gordon Gault wasn't "slashed and stabbed to death". He received a single wound, on his arm, from which he bled to death. You make it sound like he was randomly accosted and brutally hacked, whereas the evidence suggests it was more like a fight.
Perhaps your head could do with some looking at. Go try it now.
Gordon Gault was stabbed to death by a machete wielding thug. You are excusing and minimising *actual* deadly violence, which resulted in the death of a 14 year old boy, whilst grossly inflating the "crime" of expressing words to justify a years-long prison sentence.
Your comment is obscene. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for posting it.
"The South Group youths were armed with machetes, a kitchen knife and a hammer and they loitered behind the West End Women and Girls Centre to try and catch one of the North Group, Mr Moran said.
At about 18:15, Gordon [a member of the North Group] retrieved a _metal_baseball_bat from a bush and ran towards the park with two associates, with all three donning blue latex gloves. Mr Moran said they wore the "forensic" gloves as they knew they would be handling weapons and "didn't want to leave a trace".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-68626552
A bit more context from earlier in the day "At about midday on 9 November, members of the North Group ambushed one of their rivals outside Gateshead College with the "violence and humiliating assault" filmed and shared on social media,."
(edit - I added earlier event and corrected spelling)
The following reply to El Reg and Lord Elpuss, which did appear posted here from the time and date you will see displayed in the copy below, commenting on something which was said, has now unusually vanished from view. And that has never happened to me here before. I wonder what possibly may have happened. Any ideas, El Reg?
amanfromMars 1 Wed 28 Aug 06:07 [2408280607] ... airs on https://forums.theregister.com/forum/1/2024/08/27/pakistan_fake_news_uk_riots/Beware, Future Troubles ahead. Take care with what you dare share against/for a win win position
Welcome to Starlin's Britain. Toe the Party line Comrade, if you know what's good for you. ...... Lord ElpussAnd be extremely sure, expect any body to toe that Party line, Comrade, prepare yourself for increasingly violent and deadly civil unrest and noble paramilitary resistance, ennobling reformation and novel revolutionary proactivity against which there be no possible effective defensive attack utility ....... and which be a wholly natural response resulting in an alien virgin landscape cleared of the future requirement to again provide actions of proven necessary unpleasant Establishment consequences .... Great Cleansings of Legacy Systems Administrations.
Enigmatic lions formerly led by moronic donkeys will always produce that.
The UK used to. It used to be fundamental to our values.
Something has changed fairly recently; the UK is no longer a free country, and powerful interests are simultaneously promoting their own agenda that does not align with British values, and using the force of law to prevent dissent by those who disagree.
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