UN not in position to judge legality of Jadhav s death sentence: Spokesperson

United Nations April 12 (IANS) The UN is not in a position to judge the Pakistani legal process that imposed the death penalty on Kulbhushan Jadav a former Indian Navy officer accused by Islamabad of spying said a UN spokesperson.


We are not in a position to judge the process to have a position on this particular case Stephane Dujarric the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Wednesday.

He was replying to a question about India s contention that his execution would be pre-meditated murder and that due process was not followed by the military court that sentenced him to death.

Overall in terms of relations between India and Pakistan we underline continue to underline the need for the parties to find a peaceful solution and to engage through engagement and dialogue Dujarric added.

Amid heightening tension over the issue Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has warned that Jadhav s execution would be pre-meditated murder and have dire consequences for bilateral relations.

India would do all it can to save him she said.

She called the trial a farce and said that Jadhav was engaged in legitimate business in Iran when he was kidnapped and taken to Pakistan.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS
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