The British High Court has upheld a decision to suspend a senior surgeon from the UK medical register for six months for airing conspiracy theories on YouTube denying the existence of Covid-19, reports The BMJ.
Mohammad Adil appealed against the decision last June by a medical practitioners’ tribunal, arguing that it infringed his right to free speech under the European Convention on Human Rights.
But the judge said that the right under article 10 of the convention may be restricted where necessary in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public health, and for the protection of the rights of others. The tribunal’s decisions were not disproportionate interference with Adil’s article 10 rights, he concluded.
“What he said was … the SARS-CoV-2 virus did not exist; that the pandemic was a result of a conspiracy between the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Israeli Governments to impose a new world order and was being exploited for profit by pharmaceutical companies, reputable medical organisations and Bill Gates. He further contended Gates had infected the world with SARS-CoV-2 virus to sell vaccines that would be given to all, by force if necessary, might contain microchips to further the ‘agenda’ of 5G mobile technology, and would be used to control or reduce the world’s population.
“This was outlandish…not mitigated by the fact that Mr Adil was ‘outside work’ … what mattered was he used his position as a doctor to promote an opinion on a matter of medical importance.”
Adil had spent decades working for the NHS, and was a locum consultant colorectal surgeon at North Manchester Hospital NHS Trust at the time. He was suspended on an interim basis for 12 months pending the tribunal hearing.
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