Six men have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to assault two Pakistani dissidents at their homes in the United Kingdom. The alleged plot targeted human rights lawyer Mirza Shahzad Akbar and journalist Adil Raja, both vocal critics of the Pakistani government.
Details of the Alleged Plot
Prosecutors claim that groups of hired attackers were dispatched to the homes of both men on Christmas Eve last year, with plans to simultaneously assault them at 8am. The defendants are accused of being part of a scheme to inflict violence on Mr Akbar, a former cabinet member under jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Mr Raja, who has written extensively about alleged corruption in Pakistan's military.
At the Old Bailey on Friday, Louis Regan, 26, and his father Mark Regan, 53, both from Birmingham, along with Karl Blackbird, 41, from Bedworth, and Liam McGarry, 26, each denied conspiracy to assault Mr Akbar and cause him actual bodily harm. The same charge was denied by the Regans, Blackbird, and Clark McCaulay, 39, from Coventry, in relation to Mr Raja.
Additional Charges and Defendants
Dylan Martin, 33, denied attempted arson on Mr Akbar's home and possession of a revolver, linked to an incident in Cambridgeshire on New Year's Eve last year. Two other defendants, Asid Afsar, 40, of Birmingham, and Doneto Brammer, 22, of London, are scheduled to enter pleas at a later date, the court heard. All defendants have been remanded into custody.
Trial Dates
The Regans, Blackbird, McGarry, and McCaulay are set to face trial on January 12, 2027, at Nottingham Crown Court. Martin and Brammer will face trial at the same court on March 8, 2027.
