The International Criminal Court (ICC) has said it experienced a cyberattack last week after hackers accessed its internal systems, TechCrunch reported.
TechCrunch is an American global online newspaper focusing on high-tech and startup companies.The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, is the only permanent war crimes tribunal. Established in 2002, the court is currently investigating crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the ICC confirmed that it had detected “anomalous activity affecting its information systems.”
The ICC said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “Immediate measures were adopted to respond to this cybersecurity incident and to mitigate its impact.”
“Additional response and security measures are now ongoing, with the assistance of the Host Country authorities,” he said, referring to the Netherlands.
The nature of the incident remains unclear and it’s not yet known whether any data held on the ICC’s systems was accessed or exfiltrated.
ICC spokesperson Fadi El-Adballah declined to answer TechCrunch’s questions and said the organization would not be commenting beyond its statement.The impact on the ICC’s operation is also not yet known. In its statement, the court said it “continues to analyze and mitigate the impact of the incident” adding that “priority is being given to ensuring that the core work of the Court continues”.
“The Court is thankful to the Host Country for the excellent cooperation and the immediate response and support provided in relation to this incident,” the statement said. A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Center in the Netherlands did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s questions.
WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF ICC
A permanent international court known as the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established to bring cases against people accused of the most heinous crimes committed abroad. It was established to answer the need for a universal judicial system that could hold people accountable for deeds that offend humanity’s sense of justice and are regarded as violations of international law.
ESTABLISHMENT
The ICC was established on July 1, 2002, with the entry into force of the Rome Statute, which is its founding treaty. The Rome Statute was adopted in 1998 during a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy.
JURISDICTION
The ICC has jurisdiction over four main categories of international crimes:
- Genocide: Acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.
- Crimes Against Humanity: Widespread and systematic attacks directed against any civilian population.
- War Crimes: Violations of the laws and customs of war during international or non-international armed conflicts.
ARREST & TRIAL
The ICC does not have its own police force. It relies on member states to arrest individuals indicted by the Court. Once in custody, the accused are tried in accordance with international standards of fairness.
