An Afghan man who allegedly posted an online death threat against British politician Nigel Farage has appeared in court accused of making threats to kill.
Fayaz Khan, a 26-year-old Afghan national, is said to have uploaded a video to TikTok last October in which he threatened to “pop, pop, pop” the Reform UK leader after Farage referenced him in a social-media post about illegal migration.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court heard that Khan, who went by the username Madapasa on TikTok, had gained a large following online, with several of his videos amassing hundreds of thousands of views.
Opening the case on Tuesday, Prosecutor Peter Ratliff told jurors that Khan’s videos during the autumn of 2023 documented his efforts to reach the UK by small boat across the English Channel.
According to the prosecution, Farage had uploaded a YouTube video on 12 October 2023 titled “The Journey of an Illegal Migrant” in which he discussed Khan’s content and referred to “young males of fighting age coming into our country about whom we know very little.”
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Khan allegedly responded with a TikTok video in which he said:
“You not know me. I come to England because I want to marry with your sister… Don’t talk about me more. Delete the video. I’m coming to England. I’m going to pop, pop, pop.”
Ratliff , prosecutor told the court that while saying “pop, pop, pop,” Khan made gun gestures with his hand, head-butted the camera, and pointed to an AK-47 tattoo on his face to emphasise he was not joking.
Detective Constable Liam Taylor testified that Khan livestreamed his journey across the Channel before being arrested on 31 October after arriving in the UK.
Farage Describes Video as “Pretty Chilling”
Taking the witness stand, Mr Farage described the TikTok threat as “pretty chilling,” saying he feared a migrant might “come to England and shoot” him.
“Given his proximity to guns and love of guns, I was genuinely worried,” Farage told the court. “It’s unusual to see people threatening to come for you directly and saying how they would do it.”
When asked by defence lawyer Charles Royle if he was worried that Khan “wanted to marry” his sister, Farage replied:
“I was concerned there was a man who clearly treats women as mere objects and could be a threat to them on our streets.”
Farage said the defendant’s face tattoos and gun-related posts made him appear aggressive. “What drew my attention , we all have different tastes — but I thought the face tattoo was particularly aggressive,” he said. “Do people have that tattoo at your local golf club? I highly doubt it.”
Defendant Denies Threat
Khan, who appeared in court with numerous face tattoos and spoke through a Dari interpreter, denied making a threat to kill.
Prosecutor Ratliff told the jury that the defendant “plainly believed and intended” that his threat would reach Mr Farage, causing him fear that it might be carried out.
He said: “He wanted Nigel Farage to believe he would carry out the threat because he wanted him to stop bringing attention to him and maybe his associates, knowing that such attention might disrupt his attempts to reach the UK or their business.”
Ratliff emphasised that Farage’s political views or stance on illegal migration were irrelevant to the charge.
The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court.
