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Prosecuting cyber-enabled international crimes: What solutions are available?

Chatham House | 2026-02-22 | society

Topics: AI, China, Cybersecurity, Europe, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Russia, Taiwan, Trade, Ukraine, United States

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English Summary

Chatham House argues that accountability mechanisms must rapidly adapt because cyber operations are now being used to facilitate core international crimes, not just conventional cybercrime. The event highlights the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s new policy on cyber-enabled crimes under the Rome Statute as a key signal that cyber-enabled atrocities should be investigated and prosecuted on equal footing with offline conduct. Its reasoning centers on clarifying which cyber acts meet international criminal law thresholds, building workable legal frameworks, and addressing practical barriers to attribution, evidence collection, and prosecution. Strategically, states and international institutions should align domestic and international legal tools, strengthen investigative cooperation, and prioritize capacity for cyber-forensics and cross-border accountability.

中文摘要

查塔姆研究所主張,問責機制必須迅速調整,因為網路行動如今不僅涉及傳統網路犯罪,更被用來促成核心國際犯罪。該活動強調,國際刑事法院檢察官依《羅馬規約》提出的網路促成犯罪新政策,是一項關鍵訊號,顯示網路促成暴行應與線下行為同等受到調查與起訴。其論證重點在於釐清哪些網路行為達到國際刑法門檻、建立可運作的法律框架,並處理歸責、證據蒐集與起訴上的實務障礙。就戰略而言,各國與國際機構應對齊國內與國際法律工具、強化調查合作,並優先建構網路鑑識與跨境問責能力。

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