An Afghan migrant who arrived in the UK on a small boat has been found guilty of threatening to kill Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in a video posted on TikTok.
Fayaz Khan, 26, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court after jurors viewed a video he uploaded last October in which he directly addressed Mr Farage, made gun gestures, and appeared to threaten violence.
Prosecutor Peter Ratliff said Khan, who posted under the username madapasa, had a large following online, with some of his videos attracting hundreds of thousands of views. Many of his posts detailed his journey to the UK by small boat from Afghanistan.
The court heard that Khan’s threat followed a YouTube video published by Mr Farage on 12 October 2023 titled “The Journey of an Illegal Migrant”, in which the politician referenced Khan.
Two days later, Khan responded with a TikTok video, addressing Farage as “Englishman Nigel” and saying: “Don’t talk about me more. Delete the video. I’m coming to England. I’m going to pop, pop, pop.”
While speaking, Khan made gun gestures and pointed to an AK-47 tattoo on his face. The prosecutor said the gestures were sinister and menacing,describing Khan as “a dangerous man with an interest in firearms.”
Farage, giving evidence in court, described the video as pretty chilling, adding that he was genuinely concerned for his safety given Khan’s apparent obsession with guns.
Although Khan did not testify during the trial, he told police in an earlier interview that his video was “just for entertainment” and that “pop, pop, pop” was a regular part of his online persona.
The jury rejected his explanation, finding him guilty of making threats to kill.
