Ex-Coronation Street actor wins libel damages from The Sun publisher
Qasim Akhtar, a former actor from Coronation Street, is set to receive significant compensation from News Group Newspapers (NGN) to resolve a libel case in the High Court. Akhtar, known for his role as Zeedan Nazir between 2014 and 2018, and again from 2021 to 2023, took legal action against NGN following a November article that inaccurately claimed he supported Islamic cleric Uthman ibn Farooq and had ties to extremism and violence. NGN has issued an apology, recognizing the damage to Akhtar's reputation and personal life, and has consented to pay for damages and legal fees. They acknowledged their failure to seek Akhtar's input prior to the article's release. In May, The Sun reiterated that the allegations were untrue, affirming that Akhtar has never promoted extremist beliefs.
Key facts
- Qasim Akhtar to receive substantial damages from News Group Newspapers
- Akhtar played Zeedan Nazir on Coronation Street from 2014-2018 and 2021-2023
- The Sun falsely alleged Akhtar backed Islamic cleric Uthman ibn Farooq and was associated with extremism
- The article also falsely claimed Akhtar moved to Pakistan and trained with guns
- The Sun apologised unreservedly in May and accepted the allegations were entirely false
- NGN admitted the article caused serious harm to Akhtar's reputation and family life
- Akhtar's lawyer Daniel Taylor read out an agreed statement in court
- Andrew Wheelhouse for NGN said the article should never have been published
Entities
Artists
- Qasim Akhtar
Institutions
- News Group Newspapers
- The Sun
- ITV
- Coronation Street
Locations
- Manchester
- United Kingdom