A 25-year-old man from Birmingham has pleaded guilty to publishing material intended to incite racial hatred during the nationwide unrest that took place last month. Ehsan Hussain, from Yardley, admitted to the charges at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday and is scheduled for sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday.

Hussain’s charges stem from an investigation into offensive and inflammatory messages posted on the messaging platform Telegram during the violent unrest that spread across the UK in August. According to prosecutors, Hussain used a fake identity to post content that encouraged racial violence and disorder in Birmingham’s Alum Rock and Bordesley Green areas. The posts were shared in a chat group with more than 12,000 members, drawing the attention of authorities.

Police were alerted after screenshots of Hussain’s posts were widely shared online. Investigators were initially directed to an innocent individual whose identity had been wrongly linked to the messages. That individual has since been contacted by authorities and is receiving support.

Chief Superintendent Richard North of Birmingham Police, who led the investigation, praised the work of the public and law enforcement in bringing the case to court. “This has been an excellent but complex investigation,” he said. “We would like to thank members of the public for alerting us to these posts, which was crucial at a time when we were seeing lots of speculation and misinformation.”

He further emphasized the dangerous impact of online hate speech, particularly during times of unrest. “The harmful impact of such actions on communities cannot be overstated. The police remain committed to standing against violence and the use of social media to incite hatred,” he added.

Hussain is now awaiting sentencing, where he could face severe penalties for his role in stoking racial tensions during a period of national crisis.