Argentina's Supreme Court wants legislation to outlaw computer hacking after rights activists allegedly vandalized its own Web site but escaped punishment because no law covers digital attacks. A federal court threw out a case in April against a group of hackers, known as the "X-Team," who were charged with defacing the site in 1998 with accusations the South American nation's top judges covered up the murder of a journalist. . . .
Argentina's Supreme Court wants legislation to outlaw computer hacking after rights activists allegedly vandalized its own Web site but escaped punishment because no law covers digital attacks. A federal court threw out a case in April against a group of hackers, known as the "X-Team," who were charged with defacing the site in 1998 with accusations the South American nation's top judges covered up the murder of a journalist.

Argentine law covers only crimes on "people, things and animals" but not cyber assaults, according to the ruling.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court said the case did "harm to the administration of justice" in a formal request it sent to the government for an anti-hacking law that would send perpetrators to prison.

The "X-Team" was also accused of posting on the court's site photos of the murdered magazine journalist, Jose Luis Cabezas, whose case has been a cause celebre among groups claiming top Argentine officials cover up human rights abuses.

Cabezas was found dead and his body charred into blackened bones during a 1997 probe into Alfredo Yabran, a business tycoon with links to then-President Carlos Menem. Yabran later committed suicide after a judge ordered his arrest.

The link for this article located at OSAC is no longer available.