World Court orders Pakistan to review Jadhav death sentence, grants India consular access

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Indian residents sit next to a placard with the picture of Kulbhushan Jadhav in the Mumbai neighborhood where he grew up. (AFP)
Updated 17 July 2019
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World Court orders Pakistan to review Jadhav death sentence, grants India consular access

  • Indian PM Narendra Modi welcomes verdict, says “truth and justice have prevailed”
  • Pakistani foreign minister calls judgment a “victory for Pakistan” as Jadhav is to be treated in accordance with national laws

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Both Islamabad and New Delhi claimed victories on Wednesday after the World Court ordered Pakistan to review a death sentence handed down in 2017 by a military court to an Indian naval officer convicted of espionage. It is the latest development in a high-profile case that has put further pressure on strained relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors and rivals.

Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav was arrested by Pakistan in 2016 after allegedly entering the country from Iran. He was accused of fomenting “terrorist activities” in the restive southwest province of Baluchistan.

Pakistani authorities said that Jadhav’s arrest was evidence of India’s involvement in militancy in the volatile province, where Pakistan’s military is fighting a long-running separatist insurgency. India denies that Jadhav is a spy and raised his case with the International Court of Justice, the top UN legal authority for hearing disputes between states. They argued that the Indian citizen’s trial was unfair and he had been denied diplomatic assistance by Islamabad. Pakistan and India regularly convict each other’s citizens of espionage but executions are rare.

In May 2017, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to stay the execution of Jadhav until the 16-member court delivered its final decision. On Wednesday, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to review and reconsider the conviction and sentence “by the means of its own choosing…so as to ensure that full weight is given to the effect of the violation of the rights set forth in Article 36 of the Convention.” This was a reference to the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The decision was was made by 15 votes to one, with ad hoc judge Tassaduq Hussain Jillani from Pakistan delivering the sole dissenting vote.

The court also ordered Pakistan to grant India consular access to Jadhav, saying Islamabad had deprived their neighbors of the rights to communicate with him, to visit him in detention and arrange for legal representation. In addition, it ruled that Islamabad had breached its obligations by not notifying an Indian consul in Pakistan of Jadhav’s detention, “thereby depriving the Republic of India of the right to render the assistance provided for by the Vienna Convention.”

“The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is under an obligation to inform Mr. Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav without further delay of his rights and to provide Indian consular officers access to him in accordance with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” the court said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the court’s ruling.

“Truth and justice have prevailed,” he wrote on Twitter. “Congratulations to the ICJ for a verdict based on extensive study of facts. I am sure Kulbhushan Jadhav will get justice.”

India’s foreign ministry said the court had upheld the country’s claim that Pakistan had violated the Vienna Convention and “should review and reconsider the conviction and sentence.”

“Commander Jadhav shall remain in Pakistan,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote in a Twitter post after the ruling. “He shall be treated in accordance with the laws of Pakistan. This is a victory for Pakistan.”

In a video recorded by Pakistani authorities, Jadhav can be seen confessing that he was assigned by India’s intelligence service to plan, coordinate and organize espionage and sabotage activities in Balochistan “aiming to destabilize and wage war against Pakistan.”

Islamabad had argued that the ICJ need not intervene in the case on the grounds that the Vienna Convention does not apply to “spies and terrorists,” and that a 2008 bilateral treaty with India, which Pakistan says supersedes the Vienna pact, allows the right to consular access to be waived in cases that place “national security” at risk. Pakistan also pointed out that Jadhav’s sentence was subject to appeal and he is in no immediate danger of being put to death.

Reema Omar, a legal adviser to human rights organization the International Commission of Jurists, said the International Court of Justice has no history of acquitting convicts in such cases, or of providing safe passage or any other actions that India had sought from the court.

“It was always very obvious that this would not be possible under international law and ICJ jurisdiction, so those reliefs were rejected,” she said. “An adequate reparation would be an effective review and reconsideration of the sentence, which is what the ICJ has ordered.”

Contrary to narratives spun by the Pakistani government and media, Omar said, the Jadhav case “was never about whether he was a spy, whether he was involved in terrorism activities, whether Pakistan convicted him correctly or whether he should have been given the death sentence. This case had a very specific legal question as its basis, which is whether Jhadav was entitled to consular access and notification under the Vienna Convention.

“Pakistan’s argument was that because he is a spy and a terrorist, this right was not applicable to him. But this was always going to be a weak ground because this right applies from the moment you are arrested; to begin with there is an allegation against you that needs to be proven — how can you be denied consular access when a charge has not yet been proved?”

She added that Pakistan’s argument that a 2008 bilateral treaty between Pakistan and India allowed them to waive the right to consular access if national security was involved was rejected by the court because under settled principles of international law, bilateral treaties can improve on or add to the rights granted in multilateral treaties, but they cannot deny or reject those rights.

“In terms of merit, India has won the case and the court has accepted India’s argument that Pakistan breached the Vienna Convention,” she said.

The question now is whether the decision to sentence Jadhav to death would have been different had he been given consular access before and during his trial; hence the court’s order that the death sentence be reviewed. It did not specify who should review the judgment, leaving the decision to Pakistani authorities, but legal experts said the high court and supreme court would be appropriate forums to consider the case.

“If Pakistan delivers on the judgment, then it will open diplomatic space for both India and Pakistan to engage each other,” said Harsh V Pant from the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank in New Delhi.

He described the court’s decision as “a big diplomatic victory.” Pakistan had repeatedly denounced India’s decision to take its case to the UN court as “political theater.”

The Vienna Convention is a frequent source of disputes at the ICJ, often in cases involving the United States. ICJ rulings are binding, though occasionally flouted; in 1999, for example, US authorities ignored a court injunction and executed a German national.


Trump says urged Apple to manufacture in US not India

Updated 15 May 2025
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Trump says urged Apple to manufacture in US not India

  • Apple CEO said in May majority of iPhones in sold in US would have India as country of origin
  • India, hit by US tariffs, has threatened to retaliate response to increased duties on steel, aluminum

DOHA: US President Donald Trump said Thursday he urged Apple to manufacture its products in the United States instead of India, where the US tech giant has said it would be shifting production after US tariffs on China.

“I had a little problem with Tim Cook,” Trump said, referring to Apple’s CEO, during a multi-day tour of the Gulf. “I said, Tim, we treated you really good. We put up with all the plants that you built in China for years now.”

The president said he told Cook: “We’re not interested in you building in India... we want you to build here and they’re going to be upping their production in the United States.”

On Monday, the US and China announced an agreement to suspend tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, de-escalating a trade war that has spooked financial markets and raised fears of a global economic downturn.

Prior to the agreement between Beijing and Washington, Cook said Apple was “not able to precisely estimate the impact of tariffs.”

When presenting the tech company’s first-quarter profits in early May, Cook said he expected “a majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin.”

He warned of the uncertain impact of the 145 percent US tariffs on products from China — the company’s long-time manufacturing hub — despite a temporary reprieve for high-end tech goods such as smartphones and computers.

Although completed smartphones are exempted from Trump’s tariffs for now, not all components that go into Apple devices are spared.

Apple expects US tariffs to cost $900 million in the current quarter, even though their impact was “limited” at the start of this year, according to Cook.

India, also hit by US tariffs, threatened on Tuesday to take retaliatory measures in response to the increased duties on steel and aluminum.

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Thursday trade negotiations between India and the United States are ongoing, and any agreement should be mutually beneficial.

Apple announced in February it would invest more than $500 billion in the United States over the next four years and promised to hire 20,000 people in the country.

“Apple’s already in for 500 billion but they’re going to be upping their production, so it’ll be great,” Trump said in Qatar.


That ‘tourist’ in the forest might be a Russian spy, Latvia warns

Updated 55 min 21 sec ago
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That ‘tourist’ in the forest might be a Russian spy, Latvia warns

  • MIDD offered advice on how to identify possible reconnaissance and sabotage operatives
  • It also warned that Russian saboteurs might also attempt to incite unrest or assassinate “socially significant individuals”

WARSAW: They might look like lost tourists — unkempt and overloaded with gear — or hikers with military haircuts, survival gear and no clue how to behave in the woods.

But Latvia’s intelligence agency said Thursday that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and spies.

In its annual report, Latvia’s Defense Intelligence and Security Service, known by Latvian acronym MIDD, offered advice on how to identify possible reconnaissance and sabotage operatives.

It’s an increasingly relevant concern given regional tensions and a string of arson and other acts of sabotage, which Western governments blame on Russia — allegations that Moscow has repeatedly denied.

The list of telltale signs is striking: slovenly appearance, mismatched military or sportswear, and a knack for asking locals suspicious questions. According to the security service, such groups may linger near military or critical infrastructure sites, pose as humanitarian workers or stay in remote areas without showing any interest in nature.

Some may carry specialized medical kits, maps or radios — items better suited for clandestine operations than camping trips.

The Latvian guidance comes as countries across the region, including new NATO members Sweden and Finland, have been issuing booklets with advice on how to survive war or a natural disaster.

Nearby Poland is now preparing its guidelines, while Norway recently published a book with advice on how to survive for one week.

“We live in an increasingly turbulent world,” it says. “Even though in Norway most things generally function as they normally would, we must remain aware that extreme weather, pandemics, accidents, sabotage — and in the worst case acts of war — can impact us.”

MIDD, one of Latvia’s three security services, alongside the State Security Service and the Constitution Protection Bureau, warned that Russian saboteurs might also attempt to incite unrest or assassinate “socially significant individuals.”

Their activities might also be focused on “studying the position of the target country’s society and inciting unrest directed against the existing government.”

The agency cautioned that appearances can deceive.

“The Ukrainian experience shows that Russian special services are able to adapt,” the report says. Not all spies will fit the mold, and suspicions must be judged in context.

It also warns that if a sabotage group is spotted, leave the James Bond heroics to the professionals.

“If you do think you might have spotted a sabotage group on Latvian soil, MIDD does not recommend tackling them yourself,” it said. “Instead report your suspicions to the State Police, special services, or the nearest armed forces unit.”


Uganda army chief threatens voters who don't choose his father

Updated 15 May 2025
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Uganda army chief threatens voters who don't choose his father

  • The east African country is due to hold a general election in January
  • The commander of the army also said that all serving women would from now on march in skirts

Nairobi: The Ugandan president’s son said Thursday that any citizen who voted against his father in upcoming polls would be deported, while also banning women in the army from wearing trousers.
The east African country is due to hold a general election in January, and there has been a mounting crackdown on the opposition in recent months.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son and heir-apparent of long-ruling President Yoweri Museveni, is infamous for his colorful tweets that touch on everything from military matters to his social life.
On Thursday, he posted on X that individuals who “who do not support Mzee wholeheartedly better be very careful!,” using an honorific for his father.
“We will deport all the traitors in public view!!,” he added.
Earlier this month Kainerugaba claimed to have captured and tortured opposition leader Bobi Wine’s bodyguard Eddie Mutwe, who later appeared in court showing signs of torture, according to Justice Minister Norbert Mao.
In another post, Kainerugaba wrote that he took “FULL responsibility” for the actions of his soldiers, “including the long overdue beating of Eddie Mutwe.”
He added: “That was an appetizer!“
Rounding out his string of posts, the commander of the army also said that all serving women would from now on march in skirts.
“Trousers are for men not for women. Anyone who forces our sisters to put on trousers on parade again will have a very bad day,” he explained.
Only a fraction of the Ugandan People’s Defense Force (UPDF) is made up of women, and they are issued the same daily uniform as their male counterparts. They are permitted to wear skirts on formal occasions, according to local media.


UK PM says in talks over third country ‘return hubs’ for migrants

Updated 15 May 2025
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UK PM says in talks over third country ‘return hubs’ for migrants

  • “We are in talks with a number of countries about return hubs,” Starmer told a joint news conference with his newly reelected Albanian counterpart Edi Rama
  • Starmer declined to explain how the hubs would work in practice or say with which countries he was in talks

TIRANA: The UK is in talks with different countries about setting up “return hubs” for failed asylum seekers, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday on a visit to Albania seeking to bring down immigration.

The UK leader is under pressure to reduce immigration and cut the number of irregular migrants arriving on UK shores, many in small boats, amid the rising popularity of the hard-right, anti-immigrant Reform Party.

“We are in talks with a number of countries about return hubs,” Starmer told a joint news conference with his newly reelected Albanian counterpart Edi Rama.

Starmer declined to explain how the hubs would work in practice or say with which countries he was in talks.

But he said his new Labour government had been left a “mess” by the previous Conservative leadership, which he said had failed to process asylum claims.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “This will basically apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK but are attempting to stall, using various tactics — whether it’s losing their paperwork or using other tactics to frustrate their removal.”

Last July, Starmer’s Labour government abandoned a scheme put in place by the Conservatives to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda.

Rama said hosting a new UK return hub in Albania was not on the table, adding that an earlier deal with Italy had been a “one-off.”

The scheme by Italy for Italian-run facilities to process migrants to be based in Albania is currently bogged down in the courts.

“The model that we’ve brought to Albania in cooperation with Italy ... is a model that takes its time to be tested,” said Rama.

“If it works, it can be replicated, but not in Albania, in other countries of the region.”

In March, the European Commission unveiled a planned reform of the 27-nation bloc’s return system, opening the way for member states to set up migrant return centers outside the EU.

Earlier this week Starmer unveiled tough new immigration policies that included cutting the number of overseas care workers, doubling the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country and new powers to deport foreign criminals.

The announcement was widely seen as an attempt to fend off rising support for anti-immigrant firebrand Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party.

Labour vowed in its general election manifesto last year to significantly reduce net migration, which stood at 728,000 in the 12 months to last June.

It peaked at 906,000 in 2023 after averaging 200,000 for most of the 2010s.

In addition to high levels of legal migration, the UK has also seen unprecedented numbers of irregular migrants. And the numbers of asylum seekers has tripled to 84,200 in 2024, compared to 27,500 between 2010 and 2011.

More than 12,500 migrants have made the perilous Channel crossing so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on figures from the UK’s interior ministry.

Under a deal between the previous Conservative government and Tirana in 2022, Albanians arriving in the UK on small boats across the Channel can be sent back immediately.

Starmer’s Downing Street office said in a statement there had been a 95 percent reduction in Albanian small boat arrivals in the last three years, while the number of Albanians returned to the country had doubled in the past two years.

Some 5,294 Albanians were sent back in 2024, more than double the 2,035 Albanian nationals returned two years earlier.

Starmer also announced an expansion of the Joint Migration Taskforce in the Western Balkans, set up with Albania and Kosovo, to include North Macedonia and Montenegro.

The expansion would allow greater intelligence sharing to intercept smuggling gangs and deploy UK funded drones to snare gangsters funnelling migrants through the Western Balkans corridor to the UK.

Rama has vowed to integrate the Balkan nation into the European Union, and was also set to meet EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa on Thursday in Tirana.


Spain busts lucrative Chinese-Arab money laundering ring

Updated 15 May 2025
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Spain busts lucrative Chinese-Arab money laundering ring

  • Police said the investigation began after the dismantling of a migrant-trafficking gang
  • Police arrested 17 mostly Chinese and Syrian suspects in January

MADRID: Spanish police on Thursday said they had broken up a Chinese-Arab ring that laundered $21 million of proceeds from people and drug trafficking through the informal “hawala” money transfer system.

Police said the investigation began after the dismantling of a migrant-trafficking gang transporting mostly Syrians between Algeria and Spain, which led to a probe into their finances.

An Arab branch of the network “took charge of the reception of money in any part of the world,” while a separate Chinese branch supplied the cash in Spain in exchange for cryptocurrencies.

Police arrested 17 mostly Chinese and Syrian suspects in January — 15 in Spain, one in Austria and another in Belgium — said EU law enforcement agency Europol which supported the operation.

The network’s Belgium-based leader had “Jordanian-Palestinian nationality” and facilitated contacts within Spain, police chief inspector Encarna Ortega told a press conference in Madrid.

He is suspected of coordinating a litany of operations, mainly laundering money from the proceeds of trafficking humans and drugs, she added.

In total, the suspects moved $21 million between June 2022 and September 2024, Spanish police said.

Authorities seized from them 205,000 euros ($229,000) in cash, more than 183,000 euros in cryptocurrency, 18 vehicles, real estate property and illegal cigars worth more than 600,000 euros destined for sale in China.

Hawala is traditional system of moving money between countries based on confidence and a network of intermediaries with minimal paperwork which is popular in parts of Asia and Africa.

The method is especially common among migrant workers who send remittances to their families, but it has also been linked with financing terrorism.