International Court of Justice to hold public hearings in Kulbhushan Jadhav case today

The International Court of Justice, ICJ will, today, hold public hearings in the case of retired Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court. India had initiated the proceedings against Pakistan in the Court last Monday saying the death sentenced an egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. After that, on next day, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, ICJ, stayed Jadhav's execution.

The ICJ said in a release on Wednesday said the hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by India. India had told ICJ that Jadhav will be subjected to execution unless the court indicates provisional measures directing the government of Pakistan to take all measures necessary to ensure



that he is not executed until the Court's decision on the merits of the case. India also pointed out that Jadhav's execution would cause irreparable prejudice to the rights claimed by India.

Earlier, the ICJ president wrote to Pakistan prime minister to take action regarding the provisional measures. India had submitted that it has information that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he was carrying on business after retiring from the Indian Navy and was then shown to have been arrested in Baluchistan on 3rd March 2016. 

Jadhav, 46, was given death sentence last month by the Field General Court Martial in Pakistan, evoking a sharp reaction in India which warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "pre-meditated murder" was carried out.