Verdict In Kulbhushan Jadhav Case On July 17

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to pronounce its verdict in the case involving Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death in Pakistan, on July 17.

A retired Indian Navy officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. India approached the ICJ in May 2017 against Pakistan for denying consular access to Jadhav.

India had also challenged the trial by the military court of Pakistan against 48-year-old.

The ICJ on May 18, 2017, had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.

ICJ held a four-day public hearing in the case in February during which both India and Pakistan submitted their detailed appeals and responses.
India based its case on two broad issues – breach of Vienna Convention on consular access and the process of resolution.

It urged the ICJ to cancel Jadhav's death sentence and order his immediate release, saying the verdict by a Pakistani military court was based on a "farcical case" and it failed to satisfy even the minimum standards of due process.

Pakistan on its part insisted that Jadhav was a "spy" and not a businessman.

Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from Balochistan on March 3, 2016, after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.

His sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India.