An Afghan migrant who entered the United Kingdom illegally on a small boat and later threatened to kill Nigel Farage has been sentenced to five years in prison.
The man, identified as Fayaz Khan, 26, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court for making death threats against the Reform UK leader in a TikTok post from October 2024.
Authorities later discovered that he had given a false identity and was actually a 31-year-old named Fayaz Husseini.
In the viral video, shared on his TikTok account “madapasa,” Khan made a gun gesture with his hand, pointed to an AK-47 tattoo on his face, and said he was going to “pop, pop, pop” Farage, referring to him as “Englishman Nigel.”
After the sentencing, Farage, speaking outside court, called it a victory, saying Khan was a “violent criminal.”
He described the threat as “pretty chilling,” adding, “Given his proximity to guns and love of guns, I was genuinely worried.”
Farage said he only became aware of the threat because someone had sent the video to him, noting, “The only reason we know about this guy is because somebody sent it to me on TikTok. It makes me wonder how many other madapasas are there now in this country?”
During the hearing, Khan shouted from the dock that he wanted to return to Afghanistan, accusing Farage of exploiting him “because you want to be prime minister.”
A Home Office spokesperson later commented, “The man has himself said he wants to leave this country – and we will do everything in our power to ensure he does.”
Prosecutor Peter Ratliff revealed that Khan was one of 65 migrants who arrived in the UK aboard a black inflatable boat that crossed the English Channel.
He said Khan had livestreamed the journey, which gained significant attention online.
The court heard that Khan initially gave a false name, claiming he had “enemies he did not want to find him,” though prosecutors argued it was more likely an attempt to hide his criminal record in Sweden, where he had lived for nine years.
Khan had 17 previous convictions in Sweden, including for carrying a knife, threatening behaviour, and vandalism, and was jailed in 2019 for threatening a public servant.
His threatening TikTok came shortly after Farage released a YouTube video on 12 October 2024 titled “The journey of an illegal migrant,” which showed footage of Khan and highlighted “young males of fighting age coming into our country about whom we know very little.”
Two days later, Khan responded with his own video, saying, “You not know me. I come to England because I want to marry with your sister. You not know me. Don’t talk about me more. Delete the video. I’m coming to England. I’m going to pop, pop, pop.”
Prosecutor Ratliff told the jury that Khan made gun gestures while uttering the words and even headbutted the camera.
During sentencing, Khan’s defence barrister said he wished to apologise to Farage and his sister “for any offence and upset caused.”
In addition to the five-year sentence for making threats to kill, Khan received an eight-month concurrent term for illegally entering the UK, a charge he had earlier admitted.
Nicholas Coates of the Crown Prosecution Service condemned Khan’s actions, saying, “Khan not only entered the UK illegally, but made sinister threats against a Member of Parliament in plain view of thousands of followers.
Elected politicians must be able to carry out their jobs free from the fear of harm or abuse, and we will make sure that those who seek to intimidate them face the full force of the law.”
