‘Targeted, sophisticated’ cyber attack hits ICC

THE HAGUE – The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on June 30 that it had identified and contained a targeted “cyber security incident”, the second such attack in the space of two years.

The ICC said the incident came “late last week”, describing the attack as “new, sophisticated and targeted”.

A spokesman for the ICC told AFP that he could not be more precise on the timing of the incident.

The court is based in The Hague, which last week

hosted world leaders, including US President Donald Trump,

for a summit of the 32 members of the Nato military alliance.

In 2023, the ICC suffered what it then said was an “unprecedented” cyber attack that it later revealed to have been an attempt at espionage.

The court’s statement gave no details about a potential suspect for last week’s attack, but the institution is currently pursuing several high-profile cases.

It has an arrest warrant pending for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the deportation of children from war-torn Ukraine to Russia.

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is in ICC detention

awaiting possible trial for alleged murders

carried out during his so-called “war on drugs”.

The ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza.

This sparked outrage in Washington, with Mr Trump slapping sanctions on top ICC officials, including four judges and chief prosecutor Karim Khan.

The ICC prosecutes individuals suspected of the world’s worst crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. AFP