Jadhav facing death sentence on concocted charges: MEA

India on Thursday said that the charges against former Indian Naval officer and an alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who continues to be held in Pakistani jail, were "concocted" and the trial against him was "farcical".

"We have appealed at ICJ in May that was because we thought Vienna convention was being violated. We do reiterate our position that Jadhav remains in Pakistan and is facing death sentence awarded through farcical process and on concocted charges," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a press briefing.

This comes a day after Pakistan rejected India's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and alleged that he is not an ordinary person and had entered the country with an intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

 

Pakistan submitted its reply to the ICJ in Jadhav case on Wednesday after India had submitted its written response at the ICJ in the same case in September this year.

Speaking about the visit of Jadhav's mother and his wife to Pakistan to meet him, Kumar said, "We are now working on finalising the visit and we are also working on the modalities in consultations with the family members themselves."

Earlier this month, Pakistan agreed to facilitate the visit Jadhav's mother and his wife and also assured their safety, security and freedom of movement in the nation, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.

Jadhav was arrested in Pakistan's Balochistan Province over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan this year in April.

However, the ICJ on May 18, 2017, stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence.

India has appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for Jadhav's execution to be suspended until the legal battle in Hague concludes, while also accusing Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law.