The International Criminal Court (ICC) is grappling with substantial limitations on its digital systems in the aftermath of a hacking incident, according to sources and lawyers familiar with the operations of the war crimes court.
Two lawyers associated with the court and an anonymous source with close ties to it have revealed that most of the ICC’s internet-accessible systems have been disconnected. This has resulted in employees being unable to access email, and those who are not working on-site are unable to access essential documents.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, initially reported a “cybersecurity incident” on Tuesday, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring the continuation of the tribunal’s “core work.” A court spokesperson declined to provide further details on Thursday.
Despite the limitations, hearings in the trial of two individuals accused of leading militias responsible for attacks on Muslim civilians in the Central African Republic resumed on Thursday. However, the court’s livestream was unavailable, and there was no audio in the galleries where the public and journalists typically observe proceedings, as reported by court staff.
Geert-Jan Knoops, a lawyer representing one of the suspects, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, noted, “As the defense team, we do have limited access to the court systems.” Knoops was physically present in court on Thursday. Both Ngaissona and co-defendant Alfred Yekatom have entered pleas of not guilty.
Established in 2002, the ICC is a permanent tribunal responsible for adjudicating cases related to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Mylene Dimitri, who is defending Yekatom, mentioned that she had to exchange information with other parties using USB flash drives and paper binders, as the court’s usual electronic file sharing and email systems were non-functional. This manual process of transferring information between offices has slowed down proceedings. Dimitri further stated that only live witnesses were being heard during the proceedings, and testimony via videolink from others had been postponed.
Despite the challenges, Dimitri expressed her commitment to continuing the case, even with these restrictions, in order to prevent her client’s trial from being prolonged. She also acknowledged the uncertainty regarding how long this situation would persist.
