Farhan Asif, a 32-year-old freelance web developer, has been charged with cyberterrorism after allegedly spreading false information online about a deadly stabbing in the United Kingdom. Asif was arrested during the week of Aug. 18, at his home in Lahore, Pakistan, by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
According to a police report seen by various news outlets, Asif operated the website Channel3Now, where he allegedly posted false details about the suspect involved in a fatal stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, on July 29. The incident resulted in the deaths of three young girls and injuries to eight other children and two adults.
Asif’s post falsely claimed that the suspect was a radical Islamic asylum-seeker who had entered the U.K. illegally in 2023. This misinformation led to widespread riots in the U.K., with rioters attacking hotels housing asylum-seekers and a mosque near the stabbing site.
The riots resulted in injuries to dozens of police officers, over 1,000 arrests, and nearly 500 charges, with more than 150 individuals sentenced to jail time.
Counterprotests also emerged, with thousands taking to the streets to support immigrants, holding signs reading “Racists Out, Refugees In” and chanting “Love, Not Hate.”
The actual suspect was later identified as Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old from Cardiff, Wales, born in the U.K. to Rwandan parents. A judge allowed his name to be released to help stop the spread of misinformation.
The motive for the stabbing remains unclear.
Police recovered two laptops and a mobile phone from Asif’s home, where they found the X account of Channel3Now active. Asif reportedly confessed during interrogation but claimed he was not the source of the false information, stating he received it from a U.K.-based social media account. The website has since been taken offline, and there has been no activity on the X account since Aug. 11.
A Pakistani court has granted authorities an additional four days to question Asif. Pakistani police stated that Asif’s actions “created a sense of fear” in Britain and damaged Pakistan’s reputation.
Before his arrest, Asif was confronted by ITV about his role in fueling the riots. He responded, “I don’t know how such a small article or a minor Twitter account could cause widespread confusion.”
