Saudi Activist Awarded £3 Million by UK Court Over Hacking, Assault

A Saudi human rights activist has been awarded more than £3 million ($4.1 million) by a London judge following claims he was a victim of hacking and assault at the hands of the Saudi Arabian government while living in the UK.

Ghanem Al-Masarir claims that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia used Pegasus spyware to hack his mobile phones in June 2018, allowing the government to track his location, record his calls and use his devices’ cameras. He also says in August 2018 he was physically assaulted by two men in London, under authorization from the Saudi government.