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

Core Impact Points

• The ruling sets a significant precedent, confirming that foreign states can be sued in UK courts over the remote surveillance of individuals in Britain.
• The two dissidents, Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed, accused the Bahraini government of infecting their computers with FinSpy spyware in 2011.
• The court found that the alleged surveillance counted as an act carried out in the UK, as the claimants and their computers were located in Britain when the spyware allegedly took effect.
• This ruling has implications for the US market, as it may embolden similar lawsuits against foreign governments and surveillance firms in US courts.
• The case is part of a growing body of litigation testing whether states and surveillance firms can be held liable for spyware deployed against critics abroad.
• Rights groups have long accused Bahrain of surveilling dissidents and journalists, and this ruling may lead to increased scrutiny of Bahrain's human rights record.