LONDON — After a grueling six-year legal battle, the English High Court has ruled that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was the architect behind the hacking and physical assault of London-based dissident Ghanem al-Masarir. On Monday, January 26, 2026, Mr. Justice Saini awarded al-Masarir £3,025,662 (approximately $4.1 million) in damages, concluding that his smartphones were effectively turned into “bugging devices” for a hostile state.
1. The Digital “Invasion”: Pegasus Spyware
The court found “compelling evidence” that the Saudi government authorized the infection of al-Masarir’s iPhones with Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group.
- The Method: Al-Masarir was targeted via malicious text messages disguised as news alerts. Once clicked, the software granted operators total access to his location, camera, microphone, and private data.
- The Judgment: Justice Saini described the surveillance as an “exceptionally grave invasion of privacy,” noting that there was no justification for such conduct against an activist exercising his right to free speech.
2. The Harrods Assault: “Slave of Qatar”
The ruling also held the Kingdom liable for a physical attack on al-Masarir in August 2018 near the Harrods department store in Knightsbridge.
- The Incident: Two men approached the satirist, punching him in the face and accusing him of being a “slave of Qatar” and attacking the Saudi royal family.
- The Planning: The judge pointed to evidence that one of the attackers wore an earpiece, suggesting a coordinated operation by state agents rather than a random act of street violence.
3. The Cost of Defiance: £3 Million Summary Judgment
Saudi Arabia initially attempted to claim “state immunity” to avoid the lawsuit, but this was rejected by the High Court in 2022 and the Court of Appeal in 2024.
- Withdrawal from Court: After failing to secure immunity and refusing to pay required court costs, the Kingdom withdrew from the proceedings entirely.
- The Payout: Because no defense was filed, the court issued a summary judgment. The £3 million award includes over £2.5 million for loss of earnings, as al-Masarir’s “thriving and lucrative” YouTube career—which garnered 350 million views—ended due to the psychiatric trauma and severe depression caused by the targeting.
4. Can the Debt Be Collected?
The significant question remains: Will Saudi Arabia pay?
- Enforcement: Al-Masarir’s legal team has signaled they are prepared to take “enforcement action” to seize Saudi assets abroad (including property or commercial interests) if the Kingdom does not voluntarily comply with the court order.
- The Emotional Toll: Despite the win, al-Masarir told the media: “No amount of money can repay the harm this has done to me… I am not the same Ghanem I used to be.”