July 8, 2020: Pakistan on Wednesday claimed that Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer who is on death row on charges of spying and terrorist activities, had refused to file a review petition for reconsideration of his sentence and conviction and instead wanted to go ahead with the mercy plea.

“On June 17, 2020, Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was invited to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction. Exercising his legal right, he refused to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction,” Pakistan media quoted Additional Attorney General as saying during a Foreign Ministry press conference.

In the press conference, the official said Kulbhushan Jadhav preferred to follow up on his pending mercy petition that he filed on April 17, 2017. The Pakistan government also announced that it had offered India consular access to Jadhav for a second time.

But the officials said that Jadhav has refused to file a review petition against the death sentence awarded to him. Last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to provide consular access to Jadhav and review his death sentence.

According to the reports, Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016 and was sentenced to death on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. In May 2017, India moved the ICJ against the “farcical trial” by Pakistan’s military court.

In July last year, the ICJ, in its verdict, directed Pakistan to allow consular access and effectively review the death sentence. The court observed that Pakistan had breached international law by not granting consular access.