Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence: India submits written pleadings to ICJ

Pakistan claims they arrested Jadhav from Balochistan in March last, accusing him of being a spy. A military court sentenced him to death for espionage, but the International Court of Justice suspended the sentence.

India on Wednesday submitted its written pleadings to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is hearing the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a retired Indian navy officer sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court allegedly for espionage and subversive activities.

A painting of Kulbhushan Yadav by Gurukul students is held up at a protest against his death sentence in Mumbai, in April 2017. (Kunal Patil/HT File Photo)

The ICJ has suspended the death sentence of Jadhav pending final judgement by it after India moved the court in May, requesting immediate suspension of the sentence.

“India has, today, submitted its Memorial (written pleadings) to the ICJ in the Jadhav case involving egregious violation of Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 by Pakistan. This is in furtherance of our application filed before the Court on May 8, 2017,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Pakistan claims to have arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan in March last. However, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had legal business interests after retiring from the navy.

On May 8, India moved the ICJ for instituting proceedings against Pakistan for violations of the Vienna Convention “in the matter of the detention and trial of an Indian National, Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav”, sentenced to death in Pakistan and requested immediate suspension of the sentence of death awarded to the accused.

“... At a meeting held by the President of the Court with the Agents of the Parties on 8 June 2017...the Agent of India requested that each Party be granted a period of four months for the preparation of its pleading; and whereas the Agent of Pakistan indicated that periods of two months would be sufficient,” the ICJ said.

“Taking into account the views of the parties, the Court fixes the following time-limits for the filing of the written pleadings – 13 September 2017 for the Memorial of India; 13 December 2017 for the Counter-Memorial of Pakistan; and Reserves the subsequent procedure for further decision,” it added.