India on Thursday dismissed a video confession of its national who Pakistan sentenced to death earlier this year, for being a spy.
In a video confession released by the Pakistan military earlier on Thursday, Kulbushan Jadhav, who was arrested last March by authorities in Pakistan, appealed for mercy from the Pakistan Army Chief after admitting espionage charges against him.
Jadhav, in the video, confesses to being part of Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which had given him the task to fuel a separatist movement in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province.
India accused Pakistan of manufacturing facts through the video.
"The developments bring out once again the lack of transparency and farcical nature of proceedings against Kulbhushan Jadhav on concocted charges, continued violation of his legal and consular rights and an attempt to introduce prejudice in the proceedings in the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” said a statement from Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
India had approached the ICJ over the matter this May, which had asked Pakistan to stay Jadhav’s execution.
India had also blamed Pakistan for not disclosing to the ICJ Jadhav’s appeal to the military tribunal in Pakistan, and preventing his parents from pursuing the appeal petition filed by Jadhav’s mother.
This week, India once again, sought consular access to Jadhav and reiterated his family’s request for a visa to Pakistan.
Jadhav was sentenced to death in April by a Pakistan military tribunal over allegations that he was working for Indian intelligence.
Jadhav was arrested in Mashkel, a town a few kilometers from the Iranian border. Pakistani officials have accused him of running a spy network for RAW from the Iranian port of Chabahar.
