A solicitor alleged to have posted antisemitic 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 and/or offensive and/or antisemitic comments which were intentionally so.
Sarfraz, admitted in February 2008, is the director of Bradford firm Cartwright Solicitors. He denies the allegation against him and argues the tweets were made in a private capacity and 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 antisemitic but intentionally so. The respondent’s motivation in posting the things he did was antisemitic 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’.
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Culleton said the tweets that were antisemitic were ‘intentionally’ so and the posts not alleged to be antisemitic were ‘intentionally offensive’ and ‘controversial’.
She added: ‘He was aware that he was likely causing offence and likely to be considered antisemitic. He was not seeking to criticise the Israeli government. He was directing his tweets as an attack against British Jews speaking out against antisemitism and antisemitism in the UK.’
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, which is listed until the end of the week, continues.
