A Saudi dissident, Yahya Assiri, is taking legal action against Saudi Arabia in London’s High Court for allegedly targeting him with spyware. Assiri, a founder of the opposition National Assembly Party living in exile in Britain, claims his electronic devices were surveilled with Pegasus spyware between 2018 and 2020, as well as spyware from the Israeli company QuaDream. The lawsuit accuses Saudi Arabia of targeting him for his work with dissidents.
The High Court has allowed Assiri to serve his lawsuit on the Saudi government, indicating that he has a valid case. This legal action is part of a trend of cases against Gulf states for the use of spyware, with Bahrain recently being denied state immunity in a similar case.
Assiri stated, “It is outrageous for them to target individuals simply because they have been in contact with me.” This case highlights the dangers faced by activists and dissidents worldwide, as governments use spyware to monitor and suppress dissent.
As the legal battle unfolds, the outcome could have significant implications for human rights and privacy rights in the digital age.