The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Tuesday that it had detected unusual activity in its IT systems, labeling it a “cybersecurity incident.” The ICC, which is currently conducting investigations into war crimes in Ukraine and other matters, refrained from providing specific details about the incident. However, it emphasized that its top priority was ensuring the continuity of its operations.
According to the ICC’s statement, the abnormal activity affecting its information systems was discovered toward the end of last week. In response, immediate measures were taken to address this cybersecurity incident and minimize its impact.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, has previously been targeted by international espionage. Last year, the Netherlands disclosed that they had thwarted a Russian spy who had posed as a Brazilian intern in an attempt to infiltrate the court. This individual, Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, had the potential to gain access to valuable intelligence related to the ICC’s investigation into war crimes in Ukraine and potentially influence ongoing criminal proceedings, according to Dutch authorities.
The ICC is actively investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine and notably issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, alleging involvement in child deportations. In response, Russian authorities placed ICC prosecutor Karim Khan on a “wanted” list.
Later on Tuesday, Karim Khan is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on the topic of “combating cyber operations in warfare.”
