An Afghan national has been jailed for five years after a jury found him guilty of making a threat to kill Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, in a TikTok video posted in October 2024. The sentence was handed down at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, 14th October 2025, by Mrs Justice Karen Steyn.
The defendant, identified as Fayaz Khan, was convicted last week of a single count of making a threat to kill. Prosecutors told the court that Khan recorded and uploaded a short video in which he mimed gunfire and said “pop, pop, pop”, in response to material associated with Mr Farage. Khan, who has a tattoo of an AK-47 rifle on his face, denied intending to threaten Mr Farage, telling police after his arrest that the clip did not amount to a genuine threat. The jury nonetheless found that the video conveyed a serious and deliberate intention to kill.
During the sentencing hearing, Mrs Justice Steyn said the recording went beyond mere abuse and constituted a credible threat to kill with a firearm. Mr Farage had earlier given evidence that he was “genuinely worried” and described the video as “chilling”. He attended court for the sentencing. After the term was announced, Khan shouted at both the judge and Mr Farage from the dock.
In addition to the principal offence, Khan received a custodial term for attempting to enter the United Kingdom illegally, an offence to which he had previously pleaded guilty. Court reports indicate that this was ordered to run concurrently with the main sentence.
The court heard that the TikTok video was posted between 12th and 15th October 2024 and drew significant online attention. Prosecutors argued that the content and gestures used were calculated to intimidate, given the wider context of threats against public figures. Khan did not give evidence during the trial. The jury returned a majority verdict after deliberations over two days.
Media outlets also reported that Khan had a criminal record in Sweden. The Financial Times and other organisations said he had previously committed offences there and had travelled to Britain by small boat in 2024. The court was told he used or attempted to use a false identity on entry.
Following the sentencing, Mr Farage welcomed the outcome while expressing concern about the prospect of an early release under standard custodial arrangements and the management of offenders with overseas convictions. Reports indicated that Khan could be liable for deportation at the conclusion of his sentence, subject to any protection claims and legal process.
The case has unfolded against a backdrop of heightened attention to the safety of politicians and the policing of online threats. Courts have consistently treated threats to public figures made via social media as serious criminality where the content and circumstances demonstrate intent or a risk that the target will fear for their life. Mrs Justice Steyn told the court that Khan’s conduct met that threshold.
Reform UK’s electoral standing has been a recurrent feature in reporting on the case. The party has performed strongly in recent contests, including the Runcorn and Helsby by-election on 1 May 2025, which it won by six votes following a recount. National polling has at times placed Reform UK at or near the top of voting-intention surveys since the summer, according to wire reports.
The conviction and sentence mark the conclusion of a short but closely watched prosecution. The Crown successfully argued that Khan’s video constituted a specific and credible threat, notwithstanding his claim that it was performative. In passing sentence, the court balanced the gravity of a threat to kill a prominent politician, the public interest in deterrence, and the defendant’s personal circumstances, including his immigration status and prior offending overseas as reported by the press.
Khan will serve his sentence in custody and will remain subject to immigration controls upon release. Any subsequent removal from the United Kingdom would depend on the outcome of deportation proceedings and any asylum or human-rights claims. The Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service did not immediately provide further comment beyond what was heard in court.
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