Detention of Jadhav in Pakistan illegal, says External Affairs Minister in Rajya Sabha

The International Court of Justice had ruled that Pakistan must review the death sentence for Mr. Jadhav given by a military court on the charges of “espionage and terrorism”

Union External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar.

Describing the detention of retired Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan as “illegal” and under “fabricated” charges, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, on Thursday, urged Islamabad to release and repatriate him immediately.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, he said the verdict of the International Court of Justice is not only a vindication for the 49-year-old but also for all those who believe in the rule of law.

In a major victory for India, the International Court of Justice on Wednesday ruled that Pakistan must review the death sentence for Mr. Jadhav given by a military court on the charges of “espionage and terrorism” after a closed trial in April 2017.

A bench led by the President of the Court Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf ordered an “effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Mr. Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav”.

The bench also ruled by 15 votes to 1 that Pakistan had violated India’s rights to consular visits after Mr. Jadhav’s arrest.

Pakistan “deprived the Republic of India of the right to communicate with and have access to Mr. Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav, to visit him in detention and to arrange for his legal representation”, the judges had said.

Pakistan was under the obligation to inform India about the arrest and detention of Mr. Jadhav under the Vienna Convention, Judge Yusuf had ruled.