On 15 August 2018 MailOnline published an article headed “EXCLUSIVE: Top Tory Peer’s appearance at Corbyn’s ‘hate conference’ in Tunisia comes after YEARS of rubbing shoulders with Islamists, hate preachers and Holocaust deniers”.
Lord Sheikh took action against the publishers, Associated Newspapers Ltd, and the case was ruled entirely in his favour.
The article also referred to Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Hassan Hseeb ur-Rehman, the East London Mosque, and the al-Mutanda Trust. Unfounded accusations were also made regarding an oversees visits, to Syria an in 2009 which was for humanitarian reasons.
Associated Newspapers Ltd apologised to Lord Sheikh in a Statement in Open Court which was read out by their lawyer before Mr Justice Warby:
9. My Lord, on behalf of the Defendant, I confirm everything my learned Friend has said.
10. The Defendant through me offers its sincere apologies to the Claimant for the distress, embarrassment and upset caused to him by the publication of the Article. The Defendant accepts there was and is no truth in the allegations advanced in the Article and is happy to set the record straight and apologise to the Claimant.
