Solicitor’s posts ‘intended to cause offence’
A solicitor in Britain, alleged to have posted anti-semitic posts on social media sites, was “aware that he was likely causing offence”, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has heard.
Mohammed Sarfraz is alleged to have, between November 2019 and January 2022, used his Twitter, now X, and Facebook accounts to publicly post inappropriate, offensive, and anti-semitic comments that were intentionally so, the England and Wales Gazette reports.
Sarfraz, admitted in February 2008, is the director of Bradford firm Cartwright Solicitors.
'Private capacity'
He denies the allegation against him and argues the tweets were made in a private capacity and that some were “misplaced humour”.
Louise Culleton, for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, said: “The SRA … alleges not only were the respondent’s posts or tweets objectively anti-semitic but intentionally so. The respondent’s motivation in posting the things he did was anti-semitic and was to cause offence.”
The SDT heard the six disputed tweets had “various themes repeated” through them, including “accusations directed at prominent British Jews that they have been disloyal to Britain”, “politicians, journalists and others are paid by Israel and Zionists”, tropes of Jewish genocide and conspiracy tropes “such as Twitter being run by Jews or Jews being the cause of 9/11”.
Culleton said the tweets that were anti-semitic were “intentionally” so and the posts not alleged to be anti-semitic were “intentionally offensive” and “controversial”.
The SDT heard that Sarfraz had directed some of his tweets to businessman Sir Alan Sugar, comedian David Baddiel, and TV personality Rachel Riley.
The hearing continues.