Hague: The fate of Indian citizen, Kulbhushan Jadhav, languishing in a Pakistani prison awaiting his death sentence for espionage, will be known on 17 July at 3 pm. On that day the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its verdict on the case.
It has been five months since the ICJ heard the arguments of both the counsels of India and Pakistan concerning the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan on charges of espionage and terrorism on 11 April, 2017. India challenged the order and approached the ICJ to squash the verdict of a military court in Pakistan.
A 10-member bench of ICJ asked Pakistan to refrain from carrying out the execution before the final verdict of the international court.
Pakistan had produced a clip showing the “confessional statement” of the Jadhav in front of the jury. However, it was not entertained by the court and the plea of Pakistan was rejected.
On 21 February India gave its submission before the ICJ. In it the Indian lawyers said, “The government of India requests the Court to adjudge and declare that Pakistan acted in egregious breach of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 (Vienna Convention) in: (i) failing to inform India, without delay, of the detention of Jadhav, (ii) failing to inform Jadhav of his rights under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, (iii) declining access to Jadhav by consular officers of India, contrary to their right to visit Jadhav, while under custody, detention or in prison, and to converse and correspond with him, or to arrange for his legal representation.”
Kulbhushan Jadhav’s, a former Navy officer, life hangs in the balance and depends on the verdict of ICJ. He was sentenced to capital punishment by a military court in Pakistan and was not produced in a civilian court. With the state of affairs in our neighbouring country the credibility of their courts is also a matter of concern.
According to Indian sources, Kulbhushan Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he had gone for business, and taken to Pakistan.
The former Navy Officer is married with two children and a resident of Mumbai.
