Espionage in International Law and State Responsibility

Governments have always sought to obtain the secret and strategic intelligence of other countries in order to protect national security and respond to domestic and international threats, thereby applying their covert policies in the target country. This, in most cases, inflicts numerous injuries on the victim country. But the question is, can espionage make the government responsible for that act? Given the absence of any regulations in international law on espionage, there is a strong disagreement over the legal status of espionage. The present study first elucidates the position of espionage in international law and then assesses the attribution of espionage to the responsible State. Finally, the terms of the international courts' proceedings and alternative measures are analyzed. Research results show that espionage is a wrongful international act because of its incompatibility with the principles of international law, but it is not usually possible to take legal action in international courts. The best solution is to use political ways and countermeasures in espionage cases.