Is it true that an asylum seeker threatened to murder Nigel Farage?

Checked on November 3, 2025
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Executive Summary

The claim is true: an Afghan national identified in court as Fayaz Khan was found guilty of making a threat to kill Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in a TikTok video and was jailed for five years. Multiple UK news outlets reported the conviction and sentence on 14 October 2025, describing the clip, the defendant’s conduct and the judge’s characterization of the threat as a serious, firearm-related danger; the reports also note immigration-related offences and previous convictions referenced in court [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].

1. Court verdict and the central evidence that decided the case

A UK court convicted Fayaz Khan of making a threat to kill after prosecutors relied on a TikTok video in which Khan made gun gestures, referenced an AK-47 tattoo on his face and spoke words that the trial judge found amounted to a credible threat to Nigel Farage; the judge described the recording as “pretty chilling” and a direct threat to kill with a firearm, facts repeated across reporting of the sentencing hearing on 14 October 2025 [1] [3] [4]. Reports indicate the sentencing combined the threat conviction with offences for illegal entry to the UK, and the five-year custodial term reflected both the violent nature of the threat and the defendant’s offending history as presented to the court [2].

2. Who the defendant is and what background details mattered in court

Sources state Khan is an Afghan national who made the TikTok post in October 2024 and was detained and charged after investigations; reporting notes discrepancies in identity and age, with the defendant having used a false name and having prior convictions recorded in Sweden, including knife-related and threatening behaviour, which the court heard as relevant context to the sentencing decision [2] [5]. News coverage emphasizes the tattoo and on-camera gestures because they amplified the perceived seriousness of the threat, while also noting prosecutions for immigration offences connected to his arrival into the UK; these combined factors shaped the sentence the judge imposed [1] [4].

3. How the media and political context shaped coverage of the incident

Coverage of the conviction appeared across UK and European outlets on the same date and often framed the story within wider debates on immigration and public safety, including references to Nigel Farage’s political positions on migration; some reports referenced Farage’s own calls for police to publish immigration status of suspects, which provides context to why the case received political attention beyond the criminal facts [6] [2]. Different outlets emphasized different angles: some foregrounded the chilling nature of the TikTok clip and sentencing, while others gave more room to immigration or prior offending, so readers should note how editorial choices highlighted either criminality, migrant status or political implications [1] [3].

4. What remains contested or not addressed fully in reporting

Reporting consistently records the conviction and sentence, but some details remain limited in public accounts: precise chronology of Khan’s arrival and asylum claims, the full scope of his criminal record abroad, and how identity or age discrepancies were resolved by courts are sparsely detailed in press reports; these omissions matter because they affect public understanding of whether the sentence reflected mainly the threat or also compounded immigration-related concerns [2]. Readers should also note that while the TikTok video was central evidence, descriptions in media vary slightly in wording and emphasis, which can shape perceptions of intent versus posturing, though the court concluded the content rose to a criminal threat [1] [3].

5. Bottom line and why this matters beyond the individual case

The bottom line is that an asylum-seeking Afghan national, identified as Fayaz Khan in court reports, did threaten to kill Nigel Farage on TikTok and was convicted and sentenced to five years; that fact is supported by multiple contemporaneous news reports dated 14 October 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. The case matters beyond one defendant because it intersects with ongoing political debates about migration, online threats and public figures’ safety, and demonstrates how social media content can be used as evidence in criminal prosecutions; readers should weigh both the criminal facts established in court and the broader policy and reporting framings that shaped public reaction [3] [6].

Want to dive deeper?
Did an asylum seeker threaten to murder Nigel Farage and when did this occur?
Was anyone arrested in connection with a murder threat against Nigel Farage in 2023 or 2024?
What did Nigel Farage say publicly about threats or attacks against him?
How have UK police and prosecutors handled threats against public figures like Nigel Farage?
Were claims about an asylum seeker threatening Nigel Farage reported reliably by major UK outlets?