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UK Supreme Court Ruling: Bahrain Cannot Hide Behind State Immunity | Law

Devdiscourse • July 27, 2026

The United Kingdom's Supreme Court has delivered a landmark ruling, declaring that Bahrain cannot invoke state immunity to prevent a lawsuit filed by two dissidents. The case stems from allegations by Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed, who claim the Bahraini government used spyware to infiltrate their laptops.

Shehabi and Mohammed have accused Bahrain of employing surveillance software called FinSpy around 2011 to monitor their work with political prisoners in Bahrain. Despite living in Britain, both men insist the cyber intrusion caused 'psychiatric harm', prompting their legal pursuit against the Bahraini state.

The Supreme Court's decision came with a narrow majority of 3 to 2, confirming that the alleged surveillance took place on British soil, despite being remote-controlled from abroad. This falls under the personal injury exception to state immunity under UK law, allowing the case to move forward.

(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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UK Supreme Court Ruling: Bahrain Cannot Hide Behind State Immunity | Law

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