LONDON – Sarah Pobereskin expressed her gratitude to Britain’s leading newspaper, The Telegraph, for issuing an unprecedented series of apologies and paying damages to her husband, Zia Chishti, a Pakistani-American technology entrepreneur. This followed incorrect allegations that he had engaged in sexual misconduct.
Ms Pobereskin spoke out after The Telegraph informed The London High Court that it was apologizing to Mr Chishti for making these accusations against him regarding a former employee of Afiniti Limited, Tatiana Spottiswoode. She emphasized that her husband’s decisive victory against The Telegraph over these false allegations confirmed that Mr Chishti had been unfairly accused.
A graduate of Cambridge University and Harvard Business School, Ms. Pobereskin stated, “The past three years have been very challenging. As a professional woman with decades of experience, I understand the difficulties women face in the workplace. Like my husband, I firmly believe that everyone deserves to work and live free from harassment. However, false accusations undermine that mission and, unfortunately, make it less likely for women to be taken seriously.”
Zia Chishti, founder of Invisalign and other companies, expressed pride in his husband for clearing his name and gratitude to The Telegraph for its apology regarding false allegations that caused significant stress for his family. Chishti had sued the newspaper over thirteen articles published between November 2021 and February 2023, which reported on claims made by Ms Spottiswoode to the U.S. Congress.
The High Court proceedings involved extensive personal communications revealing that Ms Spottiswoode had repeatedly expressed romantic interest in Chishti, contradicting her claims of harassment. The Telegraph acknowledged that its allegations were false and misleading, apologizing and agreeing to pay Chishti substantial damages. Legal expert Alan Dershowitz noted that the case highlighted the need for due process and fairness in allegations. Chishti’s counsel, Ben Chew, remarked on the significance of The Telegraph’s abandonment of its defence of truth as further vindication for Chishti following his prior success in a defamation case in Pakistan.
