Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: Sushma wholeheartedly welcomes ICJ's ruling, hails it great victory for India

The International Court of Justice has ruled in the favour of India in its appeal against the death sentence given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan.

Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: The International Court of Justice has ruled in the favour of India in its appeal against the death sentence given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan. Affirming the right to consular access, the court said Jadhav's death sentence should remain suspended until Pakistan effectively reviews and reconsiders the decision. The 49-year-old retired Indian Navy officer was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. His sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India. President of the Court, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, is reading out the verdict during a public sitting at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj hailed the verdict given by International Court of Justice in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav. She added that it is a great victory for India. She thanked PM Narendra Modi for the Union Government's initiative to take Jadhav's case before International Court of Justice.

I wholeheartedly welcome the verdict of International Court of Justice in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav. It is a great victory for India. /1

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 17, 2019

The International Court of Justice has held that Pakistan violated various provisions of the Vienna Convention by not providing Kulbhushan Jadhav consular access during his trial that ultimately resulted in a death penalty.

I hope the verdict will provide the much needed solace to the family members of Kulbhushan Jadhav. /4

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 17, 2019

In reparation, the ICJ has ordered that Pakistan provide a "review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence" while ensuring that the Vienna Convention is not violated. The ICJ has essentially ordered that Pakistan 'review and reconsider' Kulbhushan Jadhav's conviction and death sentence and ensure that he gets consular access during this process. The ICJ has also ordered that the stay it had earlier placed on executing Kulbhushan Jadhav continue until Pakistan completes the process of reviewing and reconsidering the conviction and sentence.