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UK-based YouTuber hacked and beaten for criticising Saudi leadership awarded $4.1 million
Al-Masarir feared his phone was being used to spy on him. Cyber experts later confirmed that he had become the latest victim to be spied on with Pegasus tool.
A Saudi-born comedian who has a massive following on YouTube has won a major legal battle after a UK court ruled that Saudi Arabia was behind the hacking of his phone and a subsequent assault in London.
Ghanem al-Masarir, 45, had amassed hundreds of millions of views for his satirical videos criticising the Saudi Arabian royal family. But his online popularity also made him a target.
According to a BBC report, al-Masarir first noticed something was wrong in 2018 when his phones began behaving unusually. They had become very slow, with batteries running out quickly. Soon after, he realised he was being followed and harassed by people he believed were supporters of the Saudi regime.
Al-Masarir feared his phone was being used to spy on him. Cyber experts later confirmed that he had become the latest victim to be spied on with the infamous Pegasus hacking tool, a controversial surveillance tool developed by Israeli firm NSO Group.
"It was something that I couldn't comprehend. They can see your location. They can turn on the camera. They can turn on the microphone, listen to you. They got your data, all pictures, everything. You feel you've been violated,” he told the BBC.
According to al-Masarir, the hacking occurred after he clicked on links in text messages disguised as special membership offers from news outlets. This led to him being stalked, harassed, and allegedly beaten up in central London.
Al-Masarir said that two men approached him, questioned his criticism of the Saudi royal family, and punched him in the face before continuing the assault. Passers-by eventually intervened, forcing the attackers to retreat while calling him a “slave of Qatar” and threatening to “teach him a lesson.”
In another incident, al-Masarir recalled that in 2019, a child approached him at a Kensington cafe and sang a song praising King Salman, the Saudi monarch. The incident was filmed and later posted on social media. On the same day, another man allegedly walked up to al-Masarir and told him, “Your days are numbered,” before walking off.
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YouTuber wins £3 million payout
After six years of legal proceedings, the High Court in London ruled on Monday that there was a “compelling basis” to conclude the hack and assault were directed or authorised by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or agents acting on its behalf. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had a clear interest in and motivation to shut down the claimant's public criticism of the Saudi government," the judge ruled.
The court awarded him more than 3 million pounds ($4.1 million) in damages, though it remains unclear whether the amount will be paid. Saudi Arabia has not participated in the proceedings since a 2022 ruling determined it could not claim state immunity.
Born in Saudi Arabia, al-Masarir has lived in Britain for over two decades and is now a British citizen based in Wembley. However, the attack has left a lasting impact. He rarely travels to central London and has not posted a YouTube video in three years. He said that despite his legal victory, the Saudi government has succeeded in silencing him.
“No amount of money can repay the harm this has done to me. The hack has really changed me. I am not the same Ghanem I used to be,” he said.
