Saudi Arabia Ordered to Pay £3 Million to London Dissident After Spyware Surveillance
London, UK – The High Court of the United Kingdom has ruled that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) must pay £3 million in compensation to Ghanem Al-Masarir, a London-based human rights activist, following a sustained campaign of intrusive surveillance and intimidation. the landmark ruling, delivered yesterday, found the Saudi regime responsible for hacking Al-masarir’s mobile phones with Pegasus spyware, developed by Israeli tech firm NSO Group.
The court accepted evidence demonstrating that Al-Masarir, 45, who sought asylum in the UK in 2018 after residing there as 2003, was targeted due to his online activism. He gained prominence for producing satirical videos on human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, amassing over 350 million views on YouTube. These videos were deemed a challenge to the Saudi government, triggering a deliberate effort to monitor and silence his dissent.
The inquiry, led by the citizen Lab at the University of toronto, revealed that Al-Masarir’s iPhones were infected with Pegasus spyware in 2018. The spyware was delivered through deceptive text messages disguised as communications from reputable organizations like DHL and the Arab News newspaper. Pegasus is a highly elegant piece of surveillance technology capable of extracting vast amounts of personal data, tracking location, intercepting communications, and even turning a mobile phone into a covert listening device.
The surveillance was not limited to digital intrusion. Following the hacking of his phones, Al-Masarir was physically assaulted in London by individuals who referenced the Saudi royal family.He also endured a barrage of threats on social media, including targeted harassment from accounts linked to Saudi Arabia, and a disturbing incident where a child was used to deliver a veiled threat in public.
Justice Pushpinder Saini, in his judgment, stated that there was a “compelling basis” to conclude that the hacking of Al-masarir’s phones was “directed or authorised” by the KSA or its agents. The judge emphasized that al-Masarir’s activism was a legitimate exercise of his right to free speech, protected under human rights law, and could not justify the intrusive surveillance.
“They could not possibly justify the hacking and surveillance,” Justice Saini stated. ”It follows that there is no real prospect of the KSA successfully defending the claim in misuse of personal data.”
The KSA initially argued for state immunity from the legal claim, but this was rejected by the High Court in a 2022 ruling, which found sufficient evidence linking the Kingdom to the alleged actions.
This case draws attention to the global trade in surveillance technology and its potential for abuse. NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware has been implicated in numerous instances of targeted surveillance against journalists, activists, and political opponents worldwide, including in the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
al-Masarir expressed relief at the judgment, stating it brought a “long and painful chapter” to a close. ”No amount of money can undo what I have suffered, but I hope the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will now do the right thing and comply with this judgment without the need for further enforcement action,” he said.
sapna Malik, a partner at Leigh Day law firm representing Al-Masarir, highlighted the profound impact of the surveillance on her client’s life. “The grossly intrusive conduct…has had a profound and long-lasting impact on him,” she stated, urging the KSA to promptly pay the compensation.
Keywords: Pegasus Spyware, Saudi Arabia, Surveillance, Human Rights, Jamal Khashoggi, NSO Group, High Court, UK Law, Digital Security, Activism, Free speech, State Immunity, Cybercrime.
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