Kulbushan Jadhav’s death sentence is suspended as the International Court of Justice has asked Pakistan to review its verdict

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered its final verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, in India’s favour.
  
• The ICJ had earlier held four hearings in the case in February where both India and Pakistan presented their cases at length.
  
• Jadhav was apprehended by Pakistan’s security forces in 2016 and was charged with espionage and terrorism.
  
• In April 2017 Jadhav was sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan
  

The International Court of Justice today delivered a verdict in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, in India’s favour. It asked Pakistan to review his conviction and sentence. Jadhav who was arrested three years back in suspicion of being a spy, was also granted consular access which was denied by Pakistan.

Jadhav’s death sentence remains suspended until it is reviewed, according to ICJ which delivered this verdict at The Hague. However, it is yet to be known if he can return to India, or even be acquitted off his charges of being a spy.

Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer was apprehended by Pakistan security forces in Balochistan province of Pakistan. He was charged with espionage, three years back. In April 2007, he was sentenced to death on charges of espionage and terrorism.

India took the case against Pakistan’s verdict to the ICJ in May 2017. India claims that Jadhav was denied consular access, which was against the Vienna Convention rules. Both India and Pakistan had signed the Vienna pact.

In February, the ICJ held a four day hearing where both India and Pakistan submitted pleas to the along with responses to the questions. Pakistan insisted that the Indian Navy officer was a spy under the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) and not a businessman.

However, India countered these allegations and said that Vienna Convention rules were breached by Pakistan, as they denied consular access to the detained person. India had also questioned the process undertaken to pass the death resolution.

It had urged the court to annul Jadhav’s death sentence and sought his immediate release.

Pakistan, on its behalf, claimed that Jadhav was arrested by its security forces in March 2016 from Balochistan where he illegally entered from Iran, whereas India insists that he was kidnapped from Iran where he runs a business.