A prominent Saudi human rights defender, Yahya Assiri, has proposed a unique resolution to his legal claim against Saudi Arabia in the British High Court. He offered to withdraw his lawsuit in exchange for the release of prisoners of conscience held in Saudi prisons.
Assiri, a founding member of Saudi’s only opposition party and the UK-based Alqst rights group, accused the kingdom of using spyware, including Pegasus and QuaDream, to target his communications with human rights advocates and dissidents between 2018 and 2020.
The court’s decision to allow Assiri to proceed with his lawsuit indicates a strong case against Saudi Arabia. Assiri and his lawyer, Monika Sobiecki, plan to serve the claim through diplomatic channels, aiming for a peaceful resolution.
“This would be a win-win outcome for both the prisoners of conscience and the Saudi authorities.”
– Yahya Assiri
Assiri emphasized using legal action as a tool to pressure the Saudi authorities for the release of prisoners of conscience. This approach mirrors recent cases, such as Bahrain’s inability to claim state immunity in a lawsuit brought by UK-based Bahraini dissidents over surveillance software.