British court dismisses Bahrain’s bid to block activists’ spyware lawsuit

The UK Supreme Court has ruled against Bahrain's bid for state immunity in a case involving the use of spyware against Bahraini dissidents residing in the UK. The court's decision allows a lawsuit filed by two Bahraini pro-democracy campaigners, Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed, to proceed. They allege that their laptops were targeted by spyware installed by the Bahraini government in 2011, which enabled the monitoring of their activities abroad and those of other critics of the ruling Khalifa family. The lawsuit, initiated in 2020 at London's High Court, seeks damages for "psychiatric harm" resulting from the alleged surveillance. The Supreme Court dismissed Bahrain's appeal by a narrow margin of three to two, establishing that countries employing spyware on individuals within the UK can be held accountable in court. This ruling signifies a notable legal precedent regarding state immunity and the jurisdiction of UK courts over foreign governments accused of unlawful surveillance. Pro-democracy campaigners have celebrated this decision as a victory, emphasizing its implications for accountability and justice for victims of state-sponsored surveillance. The ruling reinforces the principle that foreign states cannot claim immunity for actions that violate the rights of individuals on British soil.