A Conservative member of the House of Lords has paid substantial damages after alleging that a University of Oxford student was displaying ¡°disgusting antisemitic symbols¡± on University Challenge.

Baroness Foster of Oxton has also published a?retraction and an?apology after her social media post led to?Melika Gorgianeh, a?second-year astrophysics PhD at?Christ Church, Oxford, receiving death threats following her appearance on?the BBC quiz show.

In a post on Twitter/X in November last year, Baroness Foster alleged that Ms?Gorgianeh had been solely responsible for the Christ Church¡¯s team mascot ¨C a blue octopus ¨C which was a ¡°disgusting antisemitic symbol¡±.

She also alleged that Ms Gorgianeh¡¯s jacket displayed the colours of the Palestinian flag, despite it being navy blue, orange, pink and green, and called for Ms?Gorgianeh to be ¡°expelled¡± by her university and ¡°arrested¡± by the police.

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Although broadcast in November ¨C shortly after the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas ¨C the episode was in?fact filmed in March 2023.

Following a claim for libel and harassment, Baroness Foster has accepted that both of those allegations are ¡°completely false and unfounded¡±, has apologised for the distress caused to Ms?Gorgianeh, and has confirmed that she is paying her damages and legal costs.

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Ms Gorgianeh said she was glad that Baroness Foster has publicly acknowledged that the allegations ¨C which had a ¡°profound and deeply damaging impact¡± ¨C were completely false.

¡°I was a student appearing on my favourite TV quiz show,¡± she said.

¡°All of a sudden, lies told about me, and only me, led to me receiving death threats and to my mental health deteriorating.¡±

The Oxford student said Baroness Foster¡¯s posts, and those of others, affected both her and her family, leaving her feeling unsafe to leave her house.

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¡°Nobody should ever have to feel how I?felt or go through what I?went through. Words have consequences.

¡°And now, through her apology, Baroness Foster¡¯s words begin to have the consequence of healing the very real damage that had been done to?me.¡±

A previous complaint by Ms Gorgianeh to the Commissioner of the House of Lords concerning Baroness Foster¡¯s conduct was not upheld.

Zillur Rahman, of Rahman Lowe Solicitors, said statements made by a person in a position of power, authority and respect have a far greater impact than those made by less prominent figures.

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¡°The very many people who read the baroness¡¯ post would therefore have believed that our client was antisemitic and guilty of criminally deploying Nazi propaganda.

¡°It is deeply disturbing that once again, we see a senior figure in UK politics, a peer of the House of Lords no less, attacking and weaponising antisemitism against a young female Muslim student in this way.¡±

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Details of the case were disclosed shortly after it emerged that Michelle Donelan, the science secretary, had paid damages to a professor whom she had suggested had expressed sympathy for Hamas.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com