‘Great victory for India’, says Sushma Swaraj on ICJ ruling in Kulbhushan Jadhav case

Former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday described the verdict of the International Court of Justice in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav as a great victory for India.

Swaraj was the MEA in February this year when India sought annulment of Jadhav’s conviction on grounds that Pakistan convicted him in “farcical” proceedings that violated his rights under the Vienna Convention.

The former minister put out a series of tweets to hail the ICJ order.

“I wholeheartedly welcome the verdict of International Court of Justice in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav. It is a great victory for India,” she said in her first tweet.

Swaraj followed it up saying , “I thank the Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for our initiative to take Jadhav’s case before International Court of Justice. I thank Mr.Harish Salve for presenting India’s case before ICJ very effectively and successfully.”

She signed off saying, “I hope the verdict will provide the much needed solace to the family members of Kulbhushan Jadhav.”

Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “espionage and terrorism” after a closed trial in April 2017 which drew condemnation in India.