A Saudi dissident has won a landmark court case against the Saudi government, with a judge ordering it to pay damages of over £3m. Ghanem al-Masarir, a satirist and human rights activist who was subjected to cyber attacks and assault in 2018, is now demanding payment from the kingdom.
Al-Masarir, who has been granted asylum in the UK, says he hopes the Saudi government will comply with the order, but warns that enforcement action could be taken if they fail to pay. He believes that by paying up, the Saudis would be sending a signal that they will not interfere with the UK's legal system.
The case is significant, as it marks one of the first times a Saudi dissident has successfully sued the government for damages in a Western court. Al-Masarir's phone was hacked using Pegasus spyware, and he was attacked outside Harrods in central London. The court heard that al-Masarir suffered "catastrophic personal consequences", including severe depression, which left him unable to work.
Al-Masarir is critical of the Saudi government's record on human rights, and believes that his attack was a demonstration of their hypocrisy. He says that the Saudis claim to be promoting reform, but are using intimidation and cyber attacks to silence critics.
The case has drawn comparisons with the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in 2018 after criticizing the government's human rights record. Al-Masarir believes that the Saudi government is willing to go to great lengths to silence its critics, and that he will continue to speak out against their actions.
With the bulk of the damages ordered at £2.5m, al-Masarir is seeking compensation for loss of earnings and personal suffering. He says that he hopes payment will be made soon, but warns that enforcement action could be taken if the Saudis fail to comply with the order.
Al-Masarir, who has been granted asylum in the UK, says he hopes the Saudi government will comply with the order, but warns that enforcement action could be taken if they fail to pay. He believes that by paying up, the Saudis would be sending a signal that they will not interfere with the UK's legal system.
The case is significant, as it marks one of the first times a Saudi dissident has successfully sued the government for damages in a Western court. Al-Masarir's phone was hacked using Pegasus spyware, and he was attacked outside Harrods in central London. The court heard that al-Masarir suffered "catastrophic personal consequences", including severe depression, which left him unable to work.
Al-Masarir is critical of the Saudi government's record on human rights, and believes that his attack was a demonstration of their hypocrisy. He says that the Saudis claim to be promoting reform, but are using intimidation and cyber attacks to silence critics.
The case has drawn comparisons with the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in 2018 after criticizing the government's human rights record. Al-Masarir believes that the Saudi government is willing to go to great lengths to silence its critics, and that he will continue to speak out against their actions.
With the bulk of the damages ordered at £2.5m, al-Masarir is seeking compensation for loss of earnings and personal suffering. He says that he hopes payment will be made soon, but warns that enforcement action could be taken if the Saudis fail to comply with the order.
I mean, think about it, the Saudi government's been trying to silence him for years, using cyber attacks and whatnot, but he stood up for himself and took them to court. And now, they're being forced to pay up - that's some major karma right there! 
Plus, this case is a game-changer for human rights activists everywhere, showing that even in Western courts, we can hold our governments accountable for their actions. So, let's give Ghanem a round of applause for standing up for what's right and fighting for justice - he's definitely an inspiration to us all! 
I remember when you could even criticize a government without fear of reprisal... I mean, it's about time someone from Saudi held those in power accountable 
£3m is nothing compared to what they're worth 
but hey, it's a start. Al-Masarir's story is so sad - he was just doing his job as a satirist and this happens to him 
. I'm glad the UK court took his case seriously. You'd think that after all these years of Jamal Khashoggi's killing, we should be seeing more like this... justice for those who dare speak out against oppression 
THIS CASE IS HUGE, AND I'M SO PROUD OF GHANEM AL-MASARIR FOR STANDING UP TO THOSE CYBER BULLYERS 
. IT'S LIKE, THEY SAY YOU CAN'T SILENCE THE VOICELESS, RIGHT? 
AND AL-MASARIR IS PROOF THAT YOU CAN'T JUST INTIMIDATE PEOPLE INTO SILENCE WITHOUT FACING THE CONSEQUENCES 
.
. I HOPE THEY PAY UP, NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT BECAUSE IT'LL SEND A MESSAGE TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT THINK THEY CAN PLAY SICK AND TRY TO SILENCE CRITICS 
.
But seriously, Ghanem al-Masarir's story is wild. It's crazy that he had to go through all that for speaking out against human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. And now, he's just waiting to get paid. I wonder if they'll actually pay up or try to weasel their way out of it. On a completely unrelated note, has anyone tried that new Japanese curry place downtown? 
he didn't back down from his criticism of the Saudi government, and now he's being rewarded for it 
we need more people like al-Masarir who are willing to take risks and speak truth to power 
al-masarir's story is heartbreaking, suffering from depression and unable to work after what he went through, it's crazy that the Saudis thought they could just hack his phone and intimidate him into silence 
i mean who wouldn't want to reward someone for speaking out against their gov? maybe its a sign that they finally realize the UK isn't just about royals and tea 
, but also about human rights and actual justice 
. And, on a personal level, I can only imagine how terrifying it must've been for Ghanem al-Masarir to go through all that cyber attacks and assault. Glad he's getting the recognition and compensation he deserves 
... think about it, a guy gets hacked, attacked, and left feeling like his whole life is shattered 
... and he wins a case, which is a major victory, but at what cost? does winning just give us a sense of closure or satisfaction, only to leave the scars from that experience still open 
The UK courts are only now acknowledging this guy's suffering, but how many others like him have suffered in silence? I don't think this is just about Ghanem al-Masarir's individual case - it's a PR stunt to look good on the world stage. And what's with all these high-tech espionage tools being used against him? Like, can't we talk about the bigger picture here instead of just celebrating some Western court victory? 
But let's not sugarcoat it, the Saudi government has been super aggressive towards its critics, and it's about time someone held them accountable. I mean, £3m might seem like a lot to some people, but when you're talking about someone who's had their phone hacked using super advanced spyware and was attacked outside a posh London store, it's a decent chunk of change 
.
And the worst part is, it's not the first time someone's been silenced by the Saudi gov 
I gotta say, this case is a major win for free speech in the UK! The Saudi government's attempt to silence Ghanem al-Masarir using Pegasus spyware and physical attacks was straight out of a bad spy novel 
. I mean, if the UK is willing to take on the Saudis, maybe others will be emboldened to do the same 
It's not like he's asking for much, just some damages to cover the costs of his "catastrophic personal consequences". But it's a start, I guess.
! It's amazing to see a Saudi dissident like Ghanem al-Masarir having his voice heard in a Western court and getting justice 
. Fingers crossed he gets that payment soon 
. The fact that he was granted asylum in the UK shows how far the country will go to protect its citizens from persecution 
. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Saudi government pays up soon, it's time for them to take responsibility for their actions