Six men have pleaded not guilty to charges connected to an alleged conspiracy to attack two Pakistani dissidents at their homes in the United Kingdom. The defendants appeared at the Old Bailey on July 18, 2026. Prosecutors say the group planned assaults on human rights lawyer Mirza Shahzad Akbar and journalist Adil Raja, both vocal critics of Pakistan’s government. Akbar previously advised former Prime Minister Imran Khan and now works as a lawyer and commentator in Britain. Raja reports on Pakistani politics and often criticises the military and political leadership. The prosecution states the attacks were to occur at both homes around 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve 2025 and involved hired groups. Four defendants denied conspiring to assault Akbar and cause him actual bodily harm. Several also denied conspiracy to assault Raja. One man separately denied attempted arson at Akbar’s home and possessing a revolver linked to an incident in Cambridgeshire on New Year’s Eve 2025. Two other men did not enter pleas and will do so later. All eight were remanded in custody. Most are scheduled to stand trial at Nottingham Crown Court on January 12, 2027, with the rest appearing on March 8, 2027. The case has drawn attention due to the profiles of the alleged targets and concerns over the safety of exiled journalists and critics.
