ICJ to hold public hearing in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case

The UN’s main Judicial Organ, The International court of Justice, will hold a public hearing in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian who was arrested and sentenced to death by the military court in Pakistan in April 2017.

Jadhav was arrested for alleged spying in March 2016, and the International Court had stayed the order of death sentence. The hearing will start from February 18 to 21 next year at the headquarters in Hague.

The ICJ released a statement stating about the schedule as India will begin the first round of oral arguments on February 18, from 10am to 1pm, while the counter part Pakistan will do so on February 19. There would be second round of arguments on February 20 by both the countries representatives.

The written arguments and the rejoinders have been submitted to the court. Expressing confidence that the ICJ would exonerate Jadhav, an Indian official said that “the whole thing is a sordid attempt by the deep state to discredit India, and the truth will prevail at the ICJ.”

There have been claims made by both the nations, where Pakistan claims the he is an Indian spy and had admitted upon interrogation. On the counter argument India states that he was a retired commander of the Indian Navy, denied that he was a spy, claims that he had been abducted by Pakistani from neighbouring Iran, where he was running a legitimate business.

According to the ICJ, “The hearings will be streamed live and on demand (VOD) in English and French on the Court’s website as well as on UN Web TV, the United Nations online television channel.”

By
Priyam Kamra
Student Reporter, INBA