Ex-Coronation Street actor to receive 'substantial' libel damages from the Sun publisher
Former Coronation Street actor Qasim Akhtar has reached a settlement with the publisher of The Sun following a libel claim. The newspaper agreed to pay substantial damages after falsely alleging the actor had ties to extremism and had moved to Pakistan to train with weapons.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal consequences for media outlets that publish defamatory content and the importance of verifying serious allegations before publication.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Qasim Akhtar, photographed at the 2017 British Soap Awards
Former Coronation Street actor Qasim Akhtar is to receive "substantial" damages from the Sun's publisher, to settle a High Court libel claim.
Akhtar who played Zeedan Nazir in the ITV soap from 2014 to 2018 and then 2021 to 2023, sued News Group Newspapers (NGN) earlier this year.
A story in the Sun had falsely alleged Akhtar had "backed" and "teamed up with" Islamic cleric Uthman ibn Farooq, was associated with extremism, radicalisation and violence, and had "moved to Pakistan" and "trained with guns".
The newspaper previously apologised "unreservedly" to the actor for the "serious harm and distress caused to him by the publication of these false allegations".
The story, published in November, appeared in The Sun online and in print.
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