A UK court has ordered the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to pay over £3 million in damages to a London-based political satirist, ruling the state was responsible for hacking his phones with military-grade spyware and orchestrating a physical assault against him.
The High Court found that the Gulf nation directed the covert surveillance of Ghanem al-Masarir, a prominent online critic, using the notorious Pegasus spyware. The software, developed by Israel’s NSO Group, effectively turned his smartphones into live surveillance devices, secretly transmitting vast quantities of his personal data.
In a landmark judgment, the court also concluded that Saudi Arabia was behind a 2018 physical attack on al-Masarir outside a department store in central London. The judge stated the kingdom had a “clear interest and motivation” to silence the critic, whose satirical YouTube channels have amassed hundreds of millions of views.
The ruling describes the state’s actions as “grossly intrusive” and unjustified, leading to “exceptionally grave invasions of his privacy.” Evidence presented in court detailed how the espionage campaign has left al-Masarir with severe, lasting psychological harm, including depression and an inability to work.
Saudi Arabia had attempted to have the case thrown out, claiming state immunity, but this argument was rejected by British courts. Following an unsuccessful appeal, the kingdom ceased participating in the legal proceedings.
Legal representatives for al-Masarir hailed the decision as a vital vindication, stating it holds a powerful state accountable for “transnational repression.” Cybersecurity researchers involved in the case noted it provides a rare judicial pathway to justice for victims of state-sponsored digital espionage, a tool increasingly used to target dissidents globally.
The dissident stated the judgment closes a painful chapter and affirms the value of standing up for truth against powerful opponents. He expressed hope that Saudi authorities would comply with the court order without the need for further legal enforcement.