Amnesty International slams Pakistan over death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav

New Delhi [India], Apr. 10 (ANI): The Amnesty International on Monday slammed Pakistan over the death sentence given to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by the military court and asserted that Islamabad had violated international fair trial safeguards in issuing the statement. "The Amnesty International opposes death sentence given to Kulbushan Jadhav by military court in Pakistan. Pakistan military courts violated the international fair trial safeguards, stripped defendants of key rights and operated in a notorious secrecy," the human rights organisation said in a statement. "Under Pakistan's military courts, no information about charges or evidence against suspects or sentences given is made public. The military courts in Pakistan and other countries including India are only apt for military discipline, not any other crimes," the statement added. The Amnesty International has found that military courts are linked to coerced confessions, opaque processes and unfair trials, it said. The Amnesty International opposes death penalty, regardless of who is accused, the crime, guilt or innocence or method of execution, it added. Earlier today, the Pakistan Military sentenced Jadhav to death, its media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. "The spy was tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded the death sentence. Today Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by FGCM," the ISPR said. Strongly reacting to this, India summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and issued a demarche. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was not even informed about Jadhav's trial in the court. The ministry added that the subsequent presence of Jadhav, who was kidnapped last year from Iran, has never been explained credibly by the Pakistani authorities. "If this sentence against an Indian citizen, awarded without observing basic norms of law and justice, is carried out, the Government and people of India will regard it as a case of premeditated murder," an official statement read. Earlier in March 2016, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the former Indian naval officer was arrested by Pakistan for allegedly engaging in subversive activities was possibly kidnapped from Iran and denied any possibilities of him being involved in subversive activities in Pakistan. (ANI)