Adil Raja

Adil Farooq Raja (Urdu: عادل راجہ; born 15 November 1978) is a Pakistani journalist and former military officer. He served as a major in the Pakistan Army until his retirement in 2017.^[1][2] He later served as a spokesperson for the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society (PESS) until 2022, when he announced his resignation.^[3][4]

In April 2022, Raja was reported missing from Islamabad before later resurfacing in the United Kingdom.^[5] After relocating to the United Kingdom, Raja became known for producing YouTube videos under the channel Soldier Speaks where he describes himself as a whistleblower and critic of the military establishment of Pakistan. He since been court-martialed for sedition and espionage and sentenced in absentia to 14 years of imprisonment, and designated and convicted under anti-terror laws in Pakistan which has requested his extradition. The convictions have been criticised as transnational repression targeting journalists.

Raja was born on 5 December 1978 in Pakistan. He belongs to a Punjabi Muslim Chib Rajput family with a military background. During World War I, his great-grandfather, Subedar Major Sardar Niaz Ali Khan of the British Indian Army, was sentenced to life imprisonment in Kala Pani for refusing to fight against the Ottoman Empire.^[6] His father, Major (retired) Umar Farooq Raja, also served in the Pakistan Army.^[7]

Raja joined the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) and was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1999 as part of the 99th PMA Long Course.^[8][9] He graduated from PMA with a bachelor's degree in history and international relations, along with military and general sciences.^[7]

While serving in the Pakistan Army, Raja completed a master's degree in international relations from the University of Peshawar between 2006 and 2008. He later enrolled at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, where he undertook coursework toward an MPhil in international relations and affairs from 2013 to 2015, completing the first two semesters with a Grade A before interrupting his studies due to operational commitments related to Pakistan’s National Action Plan against terrorism and extremism. During this period, he was involved in managing a Pakistan Army de-radicalization program in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Raja served in the Pakistan Army from 1999 to 2017 and retired as a major.^[10][11] During his service, he was associated with the ISI and later served as a spokesperson for the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society (PESS) from 2019 to 2022 when he resigned.^[3][5]

Following his retirement from the military, Raja said he started a land acquisition business, later stating that his firm worked with organisations including Defence Housing Authority and Bahria Town.^[12] In April 2022, Raja was reported missing in Islamabad following an incident involving security personnel at his residence; he later resurfaced in the United Kingdom.^[5]

In April 2022, Raja resigned from his position at PESS and was reported missing in Islamabad before later reappearing in London, where he joined his family.^[5][13] He has stated that his family in Pakistan received threats, which he has attributed to his public disclosures.^[14]

While in the UK, he began producing YouTube videos under the channel Soldier Speaks, presenting himself as a whistleblower and alleging misconduct within the military.^[10] His videos include claims of involvement by senior officers in political interference and human rights abuses, and have reportedly gained a following among critics of Pakistan's military establishment.^[14]

Raja has reported on what he describes as transnational repression by the Pakistani military establishment, focusing on efforts to intimidate, harass, or silence political dissidents living abroad.^[15] In articles and video content published after his relocation to the United Kingdom, he has alleged that critics of Pakistan's military establishment face surveillance, coercion, and threats outside Pakistan.^[16] Raja has stated that he himself has been subjected to such pressure.^[1] The issue of Pakistani transnational repression has been widely documented in reports by international human-rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as by United Nations special rapporteurs, who have warned that the government increasingly targets critics beyond its borders through intimidation, harassment, and violence.^[17][18][19] Pakistani authorities have denied involvement in such activities.^[20]

In March 2026, the Washington-based organization Freedom House reported that Pakistan had intensified its campaign of transnational repression targeting exiled journalists and political commentators. The report cited cases involving Pakistani dissidents abroad, including investigations by British counter-terrorism police into alleged attacks against exiled critics in the United Kingdom. According to prosecutors, several individuals were charged in connection with a plot targeting former military officer and journalist Adil Raja and human-rights lawyer Mirza Shahzad Akbar, during which Raja’s residence in London was ransacked and Akbar was assaulted.^[21]

On 4 December 2025, Pakistani interior minister Mohsin Naqvi filed an extradition request on the behalf of the government of Pakistan to the UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott, seeking the extradition of Raja. The request was accompanied by documents citing allegations of anti-state propaganda.^[22][23]

According to media reports, Naqvi linked the extradition request to Pakistan's acceptance of the return of two ringleaders of the Rochdale grooming gang, arrangement that British officials said had been discussed but not agreed.^[24]

Raja rejected the extradition effort, describing it as "politically motivated". In an interview with The Telegraph, he said the move amounted to "transnational repression" aimed at silencing his journalism, adding that he had committed no offence under UK law and that the allegations against him stemmed from his reporting on human-rights abuses and corruption within Pakistan’s military establishment.^[1]

On 27 January 2026, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) released a statement expressing concern over what it described as unexplained incidents affecting NUJ member Adil Raja. The statement urged the UK government to resist any attempt to extradite Raja and condemned what it referred to as transnational repression targeting journalists, adding that the government has a duty to protect journalists and ensure their human rights are respected.^[25]

In late December 2025, Raja's residence in Chesham, England, was broken into by two men described by police as wearing dark clothing while the property was unoccupied. Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London (SO15) took over the investigation due to the targeted nature of the incident, which police said was being treated as a potential attack on a dissident figure. ^[2] UK counter-terrorism police stated that they were investigating the break-in alongside related attacks on fellow critic of the Pakistani military establishment Shahzad Akbar in Cambridge, which included assaults and property damage, and that the incidents were being examined as potentially linked and coordinated.^[26][27] Indian news outlet ABP News published an investigative report alleging that individuals linked to Pakistani intelligence services, specifically the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had discussed or prepared plans for overseas operations targeting critics of the military establishment, including Raja. The report cited intelligence-related material and described the alleged targeting as part of a broader pattern of transnational repression against dissidents abroad.^[28]

In January 2026, three British men appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and were charged in connection with the attack on Raja and Akbar. Prosecutors said the men were part of a coordinated plan to target the two critics on 24 December 2025, with charges including conspiracy to assault Raja and offences linked to assaults, attempted arson, and possession of a prohibited weapon in relation to attacks on Akbar’s property. According to prosecutors, the incidents were highly targeted and occurred at the homes of the two men at almost the same time. The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges, and the investigation was led by Counter Terrorism Policing London due to the nature of the incidents. The defendants were remanded in custody and scheduled to appear at the Old Bailey at a later date.^[29][30] Analysts have noted that the reported attacks occurred shortly after Raja and other critics were tried in absentia in Pakistan.^[30]

Following the charges, Raja welcomed the developments, stating that the incidents were “serious and targeted attacks” and that he would continue to cooperate fully with British authorities as the case proceeded.^[31]

Further details emerged in late January 2026 regarding the fourth man charged in connection with the incidents.^[32] Louis Regan, 25, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court following the charging of three co-defendants, where prosecutors alleged that he had acted as a "hitman for hire" and had been the "controlling mind" behind a planned and coordinated effort to carry out violent attacks against Raja and Akbar. According to the prosecution, the alleged plot involved simultaneous assaults at the two men’s homes at approximately 08:00 GMT on Christmas Eve 2025, and was described in court as "planned and sophisticated". The court heard that Regan is a second-year sport and exercise science student at Canterbury Christ Church University and a former national-level amateur boxer who won a National Schools title as a teenager and represented England at a European tournament. Prosecutors told the court that Regan had allegedly carried out reconnaissance of both addresses in advance and had led the group that assaulted Akbar at his Cambridge home, while a separate group attended Raja's residence in Chesham but found that he was not present. In relation to the attack on Akbar, the prosecution alleged that Regan had disguised himself in a workman's uniform, wearing a high-visibility jacket, helmet, gloves and a mask, before punching Akbar repeatedly in the face, causing bruising, cuts and a broken nose. During the hearing, the court was also told that Regan had travelled frequently, including to Dubai, and had recently been there, a detail noted in reporting on the case. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram remanded Regan in custody ahead of a further hearing at the Old Bailey scheduled for 13 February. Regan faces two charges of "conspiracy to commit assault occasioning actual bodily harm". He is due to appear at the Old Bailey alongside co-defendants Karl Blackbird, Clark McAulay and Doneto Brammer, all of whom were also remanded in custody.^[33][34]

In February 2026, UK authorities announced that three further men had been charged in connection with the attacks on Raja and Akbar, bringing the total number of individuals charged in the investigation to seven. The men, Mark Regan, Liam McGarry, and Asaf Afsar were charged with conspiracy to cause actual bodily harm in relation to incidents on 24 December 2025, according to the Metropolitan Police.^[35] Court proceedings reported by the BBC and The Independent identified Mark Regan as the father of Louis Regan.^[36][37] All three men were arrested on 3 February 2026 and appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court, where they were remanded in custody pending a joint hearing at the Old Bailey on 13 February, as the investigation continued under the direction of Counter Terrorism Policing London.^[38][39]

In 2023, Raja was charged under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, the Official Secrets Act, 1923, the Pakistan Penal Code, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 for inciting sedition, defamation, espionage, and acts prejudicial to state interests.^[40][8] A Field General Court Martial convicted him in absentia on 7 and 9 October 2023, sentencing him to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and forfeiting his military rank on 21 November 2023.^[8][41] The conviction came after his content allegedly fomented rebellion, including during the May 9, 2023, protests that targeted military installations.^[8]

In August 2022, retired Brigadier Rashid Naseer filed a defamation case against Raja in London's High Court over online allegations of corruption, electoral interference, judicial manipulation, and human rights abuses.^[42][14] In March 2023, a fake Metropolitan Police summons addressed to Raja circulated online, later debunked by Reuters as fabricated.^[43]

The trial opened on 21 July 2025 at the Royal Courts of Justice, with Raja participating remotely due to safety concerns.^[14] Witnesses, including former accountability official Shahzad Akbar, testified on alleged election interference in Pakistan's 2024 general elections.^[14] In 2025, Raja characterized the defamation case filed against him in the United Kingdom as an effort by the ISI to weaponise libel laws to suppress dissent.^[10][44]

On 9 October 2025, Richard Spearman, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge, ruled that the statements published by Adil Raja were defamatory in law, finding that they were not supported by sufficient evidence and met the legal standard required in defamation proceedings.^[45] The defence of truth was withdrawn during trial, and the court awarded £50,000 in damages and ordered Raja to pay approximately £300,000 in legal costs.^[10] In April 2025, the court had also ordered £6,100 in interim costs.^[10] Rashid Naseer stated that the publications led to death threats and privacy concerns involving his family.^[46] Raja appealed the decision, maintaining that his reporting concerned matters of public interest and describing the case as a form of strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP).^[42] However, on 4 March 2026, Raja lost his appeal on all grounds at the Court of Appeal, with the final ruling by Lord Justice Mark Warby ordering that Raja cannot seek a review or appeal against the decision anymore, and that he must comply with the original court decision to pay damages and legal costs to Naseer.^[47]

In December 2025, the government of Pakistan declared Raja a proscribed person under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.^[48] According to official notifications cited by the media, the government stated that it had "reasonable grounds to believe" his activities posed a threat to public order and national security. The proscription directed that Raja's name be placed on the Fourth Schedule of the act,^[49] which allows authorities to impose monitoring and movement restrictions on designated individuals.^[50]

In January 2026, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad sentenced Raja to two life terms in absentia after convicting him on terrorism-related charges linked to online activity in support of former prime minister Imran Khan and the May 9, 2023 protests.^[51][52] British counter-terrorism police had previously investigated similar allegations against Raja and, in March 2024, dropped the case citing a lack of evidence; Raja later said that UK authorities had apologised following the decision.^[53] The court ruled that the content published by Raja and several other journalists, including Shaheen Sehbai and Wajahat Saeed Khan, and YouTubers "fell within the ambit of terrorism" under Pakistani law.^[54][55] The defendants were not present in court and were reported to be living abroad. Media freedom organisations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, criticised the convictions as retaliatory.^[56][57] Raja rejected the ruling, stating that the case was "not a criminal matter" but "an act of transnational repression aimed at silencing critics."^[58] Raja described the verdict on X as an attempt to criminalise dissent, arguing that telling the truth to those in power is being labelled "digital terrorism" in Pakistan.^[59]

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