Bahrain Spyware Lawsuit: No Shield of Immunity

Bahrain is unable to claim state immunity to block a lawsuit in Britain filed by two dissidents. They accuse Bahrain's government of hacking their computers with FinSpy to monitor their communications. London's Court of Appeal upheld a prior ruling, allowing the case to proceed.

In a landmark decision, London's Court of Appeal has denied Bahrain the ability to invoke state immunity in a lawsuit brought forth by two dissidents, Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed.

The pair, residing in Britain, allege that the Bahraini government used spyware, FinSpy, to infiltrate their computers, allowing agents to control their devices and monitor sensitive communications related to political prisoners in Bahrain.

The denial of Bahrain's appeal to claim state immunity underscores the principle that foreign states cannot interfere with the UK's territorial sovereignty, as Judge Stephen Males articulated in the ruling.

(With inputs from agencies.)