Saudi satirist awarded over £3 million in damages after phone hacked with Pegasus spyware

A London High Court has awarded over £3 million in damages to a Saudi satirist and human rights activist, Ghanem Al-Masarir, after finding compelling evidence that his phone was hacked with government-grade spyware. The ruling came after Al-Masarir sued the Saudi government, alleging his phone was targeted with Pegasus spyware in 2018. This case highlights the growing concerns surrounding the use of sophisticated surveillance tools against dissidents, as reported by TechCrunch.

Ghanem Al-Masarir, a London-based comic known for his critical YouTube videos of Saudi Arabia, claimed his phone was compromised with Pegasus spyware, a tool exclusively sold to governments by NSO Group. The court found compelling evidence that Al-Masarir's iPhones were hacked, leading to data exfiltration, and that the hacking was directed or authorized by the Saudi government or its agents. The judge also found the Saudi government was likely responsible for a physical assault on Al-Masarir in London around the same time his phone was targeted. The Saudi government's claim of state immunity was rejected by the High Court.

Source: TechCrunch