Tory peer pays 'substantial damages' to student over tweets

A Conservative peer has paid "substantial damages" and apologised to a student who she accused of antisemitism following an appearance on University Challenge.

Baroness Jacqueline Foster, 76, reached a settlement with Melika Gorgianeh after posting a series of tweets calling for her to be "arrested".

Ms Gorgianeh said the accusation had led to her receiving death threats.

Baroness Foster said she accepted her comments were "completely false".

The Liverpool-born former MEP sent the tweets after Ms Gorgianeh and three colleagues from the University of Oxford's Christ Church College appeared on the BBC quiz show on 20 November 2023.

Baroness Foster appeared to take exception to the group having an octopus stuffed toy as a mascot, and also claimed Ms Gorgianeh was wearing colours representing the Palestinian flag.

The peer claimed the octopus represented an antisemitic trope referring to the power supposedly wielded by Jewish people, which appeared on Nazi propaganda posters.

The BBC said at the time it "utterly condemned" the "abuse" directed towards Ms Gorgianeh.

The broadcaster said the octopus mascot was "one of many" chosen by the team during the series and was "one of their favourite animals".

A spokesperson also clarified the episode was filmed in March, 2023, before the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October.

Solicitors representing Ms Gorgianeh pointed out that the "young Muslim woman" was only one of four members of the panel, and that her jacket was navy blue, orange and pink windbreaker bought from high street retailer Zara.

On Wednesday Baroness Foster posted a public apology on X (formerly Twitter) saying: "I made a grave mistake in making those posts and I should not have done so."

She wrote that she had also apologised in a private letter to Ms Gorgianeh and paid her "substantial damages and costs".

In statement issued through her solicitors, Ms Gorgianeh said the impact of Baroness Foster's comments had made her afraid to leave her house.

She said: "The false allegation of antisemitism has had a profound and deeply damaging impact on my life.

"I was a student appearing on my favourite TV quiz show. All of a sudden, lies told about me, and only me, led to me receiving death threats and to my mental health deteriorating."

Ms Gorgianeh's solicitor, Zillur Rahman of Rahman Lowe Solicitors, said the Baroness's comments had been "deeply disturbing".

He added: "Baroness Foster's apology, and her payment of substantial damages, goes some way to healing the damage that she has caused to our client."

Baroness Foster did not respond to a request for comment.

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