The International Court of Justice will decide today if Kulbhushan Jadhav was an Indian spy in Pakistan

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its final verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav case in the Peace Palace in the Hague today at 3 pm (6:30 pm IST).
  
• 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 Pak 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 long awaited verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case is set to be delivered today at 3 pm (06:30 IST) in the Peace Palace in the Netherlands.

Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer became a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. He was apprehended from Balochistan province of Pakistan, and 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 it was denied consular access to Jadhav, which was against the Vienna Convention rules. Both India and Pakistan had signed the Vienna pact.

Today in the ICJ, the verdict will be delivered in a public setting by the President of the UN judicial organ, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf. Fifteen other judges will also be present and will either concur fully with the final verdict, or read out their supporting or dissenting opinions.

A representative of Pakistan will also be present.

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. Also, India questioned the process undertaken to pass the death resolution.

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

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

Jadhav’s family was allowed to meet him in Pakistan in December 2017.