London-Based Saudi Dissident Awarded £3m in Landmark Legal Victory
A Saudi dissident living in London has been awarded more than £3 million in damages by the High Court, following a landmark judgment that found the Gulf state responsible for targeting and attacking him due to his criticism of the regime.
Judge Rules on Surveillance and Assault
Mr Justice Pushpinder Saini ruled that the Saudi government infected the phone of Ghanem al-Masarir with Pegasus spyware and, while surveillance was ongoing in 2018, its agents attacked him outside Harrods in central London. The judgment represents a significant legal precedent, holding accountable a regime that has frequently avoided responsibility for alleged human rights abuses.
The bulk of the damages, approximately £2.5 million, was awarded for loss of earnings. The judge noted that al-Masarir previously had a "thriving and lucrative" career creating content critical of the Saudi government. However, the 45-year-old satirist and human rights activist continues to suffer from severe depression as a result of being targeted, leaving him unable to work.
Threat of Enforcement Action Against Saudi Assets
In an interview, al-Masarir insisted that Saudi Arabia must comply with the court order to pay the damages or face enforcement action. "I hope they will comply and pay the debt as soon as possible," he said. "If they don't pay it, we won't have any other alternative but to take enforcement action to recover the money from Saudi assets abroad, it doesn't have to be the UK."
The Saudi government has made no comment on the judgment and has not indicated whether it will pay the compensation. The regime had previously refused to participate in the case after failing to have it dismissed on grounds of state immunity.
Impact on Personal Life and Career
Al-Masarir, who was granted asylum in the UK in 2018, described the High Court judgment as an "amazing thing", highlighting that it established Saudi liability in a court of law. "This judgment sent a signal they should not intervene inside the UK and it will not be tolerated," he stated.
The court heard that al-Masarir has suffered "catastrophic personal consequences" from the attack. He rarely leaves his house and cannot perform many basic daily activities. "I suffered a lot and what they have done to me has ruined my life," he revealed. "I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago, I am a different person, I can't do my work."
Broader Context of Saudi Targeting
The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, which tracks digital attacks against civil society, confirmed in 2018 that al-Masarir's phone had been infected with spyware. Other critics of Saudi Arabia, including Canadian-based dissident Omar Abdulaziz, were also targeted. Abdulaziz was a friend of fellow dissident Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in 2018.
Judge Saini ruled that there was "effectively criminal conduct" by the Saudis against al-Masarir, proven on the balance of probabilities, which is the standard of proof in civil cases. Al-Masarir expressed concern about future risks, noting: "We all know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, how far they are willing to go."
Hypocrisy and Political Reforms
Al-Masarir has little faith in Saudi Arabia's much-publicised political reforms, pointing to last year's controversial comedy festival in the kingdom featuring international comedians. "At the same time they have attacked me – I'm a comedian as well," he said. "It shows you how hypocritical they are."
He acknowledged that whether the Saudis pay the damages or not, they have achieved their objective of silencing him. His satirical shows had accumulated nearly 350 million views on YouTube before the attack halted his work. "It's a win for them because they silenced me and I'm not able to do my work any more," he concluded.
