Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025

British judge rules dissident can sue Saudi Arabia for Pegasus hacking

British judge rules dissident can sue Saudi Arabia for Pegasus hacking

Ghanem Almasarir’s victory opens way for other hacking victims in UK to bring cases against foreign governments

A British judge has ruled that a case against the kingdom of Saudi Arabia brought by a dissident satirist who was targeted with spyware can proceed, a decision that has been hailed as precedent-setting and one that could allow other hacking victims in Britain to sue foreign governments who order such attacks.

The case against Saudi Arabia was brought by Ghanem Almasarir, a prominent satirist granted asylum in the UK, who is a frequent critic of the Saudi royal family.

At the centre of the case are allegations that Saudi Arabia ordered the hacking of Almasarir’s phone, and that he was physically assaulted by agents of the kingdom in London in 2018.

The targeting and hacking of Almasarir’s phone by a network probably linked to Saudi Arabia was confirmed by researchers at the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, who are considered among the world’s leading experts in tracking digital surveillance of dissidents, journalists and other members of civil society.

Saudi Arabia is known to be a former client of NSO Group, whose powerful Pegasus hacking software covertly penetrates and compromises smartphones.

Almasarir praised the decision, emphasising the “profound effect” the kingdom’s alleged assault and spyware had had on his life.

“I no longer feel safe and I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I no longer feel able to speak up for the oppressed Saudi people, because I fear that any contact with people inside the kingdom could put them in danger. I look forward to presenting my full case to the court in the hope that I can finally hold the kingdom to account for the suffering I believe they have caused me,” he said.

Saudi Arabia’s attempt to have the case dismissed on the grounds that it had sovereign immunity protection under the State Immunity Act 1978 was dismissed by the high court judge.

The Guardian and other media outlets have reported on the Saudis’ extensive previous use of NSO’s Pegasus spyware in cases around the world, including researchers’ findings that the kingdom had targeted a close associate of the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was living in Canada, journalists for US and Qatari news outlets, and dissidents and human rights activists.

In the ruling, against which Saudi Arabia is likely to appeal, Justice Julian Knowles found that Almasarir’s case could proceed under an exception to the sovereign immunity law that applies to any act by a foreign state that causes personal injury. He also found that Almasarir had provided enough evidence to conclude, on the balance of probabilities, that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the alleged assault. Saudi Arabia’s claim that the case was too weak or speculative to proceed was dismissed.

Almasarir was represented by Ida Aduwa, associate solicitor at Leigh Day. “Today’s judgment sets a powerful precedent for other cases brought against foreign governments for the alleged use of spyware on individuals in the UK. I hope this judgment will serve as a beacon of hope to those individuals who have been targeted, that foreign governments cannot necessarily hide behind state immunity in these types of cases,” Aduwa said.

The decision could have profound implications for other individuals targeted or hacked by NSO’s spyware within the UK.

They include Lady Shackleton and Princess Haya, the former wife of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. Both were hacked by the sheikh using NSO spyware during lengthy court proceedings between Haya and her former husband in London.

When Pegasus is successfully deployed against a target, it can silently infect any mobile phone, allowing the operator of the spyware to intercept calls and text messages, including those on encrypted apps, such as Signal or WhatsApp. It can track a mobile phone user’s location, and also control its camera and recorder, in effect turning the phone into a listening device.

The decision represented a validation of the research by Citizen Lab, which has provided evidence in similar cases in other courts, including in Haya’s case.

Citizen Lab’s senior legal adviser, Siena Anstis, said: “The high court’s dismissal of the KSA’s application is fantastic news for victims of digital transnational repression in the UK and represents an important first step along the way towards greater accountability. I also hope this decision serves as a wake-up call for the US or other jurisdictions where state immunity may still be used by authoritarian regimes to block these kinds of cases and leave spyware victims without judicial recourse.”

Saudi Arabia was represented by Antony White QC and Michelle Butler of Matrix Chambers. White and Butler did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.

NSO has also not responded to a request for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
×