'Targeted, sophisticated' cyberattack hits ICC

A sign with the name and logo is seen outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, on March 11, 2025. [AFP]

The International Criminal Court said Monday it had identified and contained a targeted "cybersecurity 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 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" cyberattack 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 President Vladimir Putin over the deportation of children from war-torn Ukraine to Russia.

Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte is in ICC detention awaiting possible trial for alleged murders carried out during his so-called "war on drugs".

And the ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza.

This sparked outrage in Washington, with 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.