Release Kulbhushan Jadav: India urges ICJ

(Surjit dhal , The Hague, Feb 19) : India has urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to annul Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence by a Pakistani military court and order his immediate release.

India argued that the verdict by a Pakistan Military Court was based on a “farcical case” hopelessly fails to satisfy even the minimum standards of due process.

Notably, retired Indian Navy officer Jadhav was sentenced to death by the military court on charges of “espionage and terrorism” after a closed trial in April 2017.

India moved the ICJ in May the same year for the “egregious violation” of the provisions of the Vienna Convention by Pakistan by repeatedly denying New Delhi consular access to the 48-year-old Indian national.

Harish Salve, the lawyer representing India and Jadhav in the case at the ICJ said, “Military courts of Pakistan cannot command the confidence of this court and should not be sanctify by a direction to them to review and re-consider the case. India seeks annulment of Jadhav’s conviction, and directions that he be released forthwith.”

The trial opened Monday at the ICJ headquarters here amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following one of the worst terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.