ICJ denies Pakistan's request to play Kulbhushan Jadhav's 'confessional' video

THE HAGUE: The International Court of Justice ( ICJ) today denied permission to Pakistan to play a purported "confessional" video of retired Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav at a public hearing here.

To support its allegations that Jadhav was sent by India to carry out spying and espionage activities in Pakistan and was arrested from the restive Balochistan province, Pakistan delegation at the ICJ sought permission to play the purported video showing the Indian national admitting that he was a "spy".

However, the ICJ denied permission to the Pakistani side to play the video at the hearing, Indian officials in New Delhi said.

Earlier, India demanded the immediate suspension of Jadhav's death sentence, expressing fears that Pakistan could execute him even before the hearing at ICJ.

On May 8, India moved the ICJ against the death penalty handed down to Jadhav by a Pakistan military court, alleging violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. On May 9, the highest court in the UN gave Jadhav a lease of life.

India, in its appeal to the ICJ, had asserted that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was involved in business activities after retiring from the Indian Navy. India has denied that he has any connection with the government.