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Bahrain's Legal Immunity Challenge in UK Spyware Case

Devdiscourse • July 27, 2026

The UK's Supreme Court has ruled by a majority that Bahrain cannot invoke state immunity in a British lawsuit where two dissidents claim the Gulf kingdom hacked their laptops with spyware.

Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed, living in the UK, alleged that their computers were infected with FinSpy around 2011 to monitor their activities involving political prisoners.

The lawsuit, filed at London's High Court in 2020, seeks reparations for 'psychiatric harm.' Bahrain, which denies the allegations, has long attempted to claim state immunity to fend off the suit.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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UK Supreme Court Denies Bahrain State Immunity in Spyware Case The UK Supreme Court ruled that Bahrain cannot claim state immunity against a lawsuit by two dissidents, Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed, who allege their computers were hacked with FinSpy spyware in 2011. The court's decision, made by a 3-2 majority, allows the case to proceed, asserting that the alleged surveillance occurred in the UK, thus falling under the personal injury exception to state immunity. The plaintiffs claim to have suffered psychiatric harm after discovering the hacking in 2014. Bahrain has denied the allegations and sought immunity based on the argument that the surveillance was conducted from abroad. This ruling could set a precedent for future cases against foreign states in the UK. The case is expected to return to the High Court for further proceedings. 29 sources 63

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Bahrain's Legal Immunity Challenge in UK Spyware Case

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