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International Court of Justice Stays Kulbhushan Jadhav’s Execution Order

International Court of Justice Stays Kulbhushan Jadhav’s Execution Order

File photo of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The International Court of Justice on Tuesday stayed the execution order against Indian national Kulbushan Jadhav passed by a Pakistani military court.

The court had sentenced Jadhav to death for alleged involvement in “spying” and “subversive activities”.

The ICJ’s decision came after India initiated proceedings against the Pakistan, accusing it of “egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations”.

India contends that it was not informed of Jadhav’s detention until long after his arrest and that Pakistan failed to inform the accused of his rights. It further claims that, in violation of the Vienna Convention, the authorities of Pakistan are denying India its right of consular access to Jadhav, despite its repeated requests.

India also pointed out that it learned about the death sentence against Jadhav from a press release.

The Pakistan Army had months ago released a “confessional video” of Jadhav, in which he said he was a serving Indian Navy officer.

India has acknowledged Jadhav as a retired Indian Navy officer, but denied that he was in any way connected to the government.

Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested reportedly from Balochistan after he entered from Iran. He was accused by Pakistan of being a “R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent” and planning “subversive activities” in the country. The Indian government, on the other hand, believed that he was picked up from Iran.

First Published: May 10, 2017, 12:01 AM IST