# UK Supreme Court rejects Bahrain immunity claim

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/uk-supreme-court-rejects-bahrain-immunity-claim
> Updated: 2026-07-29T15:43:42.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2.

In late July 2026, the UK Supreme Court dismissed Bahrain’s appeal for sovereign immunity in a lawsuit alleging the use of the FinSpy surveillance tool against two Bahrain‑based dissidents residing in the United Kingdom. A narrow 3‑2 majority held that the State Immunity Act 1978’s personal‑injury exception applies when the harmful effect occurs on UK soil, even if the spying actions were carried out abroad.

The ruling allows the plaintiffs, journalist Saeed Shehabi and refugee Moosa Mohammed, to proceed to trial for damages related to psychiatric harm caused by the alleged spyware deployment in 2011. By affirming that foreign states can be held accountable for transnational repression through technology affecting individuals in the UK, the decision sets a legal precedent for similar future cases.

## Timeline

### 2026-07-29: UK Supreme Court Rejects Bahrain Immunity in Spyware Case

UK Supreme Court ruled Bahrain cannot claim state immunity for spyware that infected dissidents' computers in the UK, establishing accountability for transnational repression under the State Immunity Act.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uk-supreme-court-rejects-bahrain-immunity-in-spyware-case

### 2026-07-27: UK Supreme Court Rejects Bahrain's Immunity Claim in Spyware Lawsuit

Britain's Supreme Court, by 3‑2, refused Bahrain's state‑immunity claim in a lawsuit by Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed, who say Bahrain used FinSpy spyware on their UK‑based computers in 2011.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uk-supreme-court-rejects-bahrains-immunity-claim-in-spyware-lawsuit

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Cite as: UK Supreme Court rejects Bahrain immunity claim. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/uk-supreme-court-rejects-bahrain-immunity-claim