LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani judge on Monday acquitted a man who had been charged with spreading false news that helped spark deadly riots in Britain earlier this month, authorities said.
The decision came less than a week after 32-year-old web developer Farhan Asif was arrested in a raid at his home in Lahore, capital of the eastern province of Punjab, and charged with cyberterrorism.
After a hearing on Monday, a judge ordered Asif’s release and he was released. He told the judge he deleted his social media posts just six hours after he realized they were wrong.
Federal investigators told the judge they had no evidence to prove a charge of knowingly spreading false information, defense lawyer Rana Rizwan told reporters.
Federal investigators had accused Asif of spreading false information about the girl on YouTube and Facebook after a stabbing attack at a dance studio in northwest England on July 29 that left three girls dead and 10 injured.
UK ‘keyboard warrior’ sentenced to three years in prison for posting on Xhttps://t.co/m6WK9Rwbji
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 18, 2024
