UK barrister who called for ‘final solution’ for Israel gets four-month suspension, sparking outcry

NOVEMBER 15, 2026 17:46A British criminal defense barrister has been suspended for four months for calling for a "final solution" and "the gas chamber" for Zionists.Forz Khan, who has been a registered barrister since July 1988, was suspended by a three-person disciplinary tribunal on November 10, on account of "professional misconduct."According to the publicly available disciplinary findings, Khan posted on LinkedIn three times in March 2025: "There is only one solution to the evil that is zionism [sic]. Unless there is a complete global cleansing this pernicious cult will continue to spread its hate, genocide and evil."In the same month, he also wrote: "There is only 1 final solution to that problem that is Israel" and "The world needs to eradicate Zios globally."Khan then posted twice in April 2025: "Scum like this should be in a gas chamber" and again "There is only 1 final solution to the problem of israel [sic]."A bus drives past the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Britain, June 26, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/Raphael Satter)The tribunal said the statements were "antisemitic and/or seriously offensive" and thus suspended Khan from practice for four months. Khan was also ordered to pay £2,880 in costs.MP Nick Timothy slams four-month suspensionSocial media users lamented the brevity of the sentence, noting that some individuals have received jail time for smaller offenses."By 'Zios' he meant Jews, of course, and he was suspended for just four months," said Nick Timothy, a Conservative MP for West Suffolk.Timothy announced he will be pursuing the matter with the Bar Standards Board.‘Zio’ is widely considered an antisemitic slur after being popularized by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, who used it frequently in his writings and broadcasts as shorthand for Jewish people. In 2016, a UK Labour Party inquiry into antisemitism led by Shami Chakrabarti recommended that party members stop using the term, describing it as a racial epithet.Khan previously suspended in 2018Khan was suspended in 2018 after spreading serious, unsubstantiated allegations against a fellow barrister, including rape, stalking and threats to kill.At the time, Khan was representing a solicitor who had been involved in an affair with the barrister. The relationship ended after she discovered that the man was married.Khan subsequently repeated allegations that the barrister had raped and stalked his client and threatened to kill her. He also contacted the barrister's wife via LinkedIn.The Bar Standards Board found Khan guilty of professional misconduct and initially imposed a seven-month suspension. Khan appealed, arguing that the disciplinary action breached his rights to freedom of expression and privacy and did not meet the threshold for professional misconduct.In September 2018, the High Court upheld the misconduct findings but ruled that the suspension was excessive, reducing it to three months.Follow us on Google