Who is Abdulqawi Yusuf? ICJ chief to deliver Kulbhushan Jadhav case verdict today

International Court of Justice (ICJ) president Abdulqawi Yusuf will deliver the verdict on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case on Wednesday. Jadhav has been languishing in Pakistani jails since he was sentenced to death over charges of terrorism and spying for India's intelligence agency RAW. The Narendra Modi government denies the allegations and has been demanding his release.

Who is Abdulqawi Yusuf?

Born in Somalia, Yusuf boasts of an illustrious legal career. The 70-year-old has been a member of the ICJ since 2009 and was promoted as its vice-president in February 2015. He took over as the president of the ICJ in February 2018.

Yusuf holds a Juris Doctor (Somali National University) and a PhD in international law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies of Geneva. Prior to his doctorate, Yusuf had completed international law at the University of Florence in Italy.

Yusuf had earlier served as the Legal Adviser and Director of the Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs at UNESCO. He has also held several positions at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

At the beginning of his legal career, Yusuf had taught at the Somalia National University and Geneva University and also served as guest faculty at several universities in Switzerland, Italy, Greece and France.

Yusuf has also authored books on international law as well as Northeast Africa and Somalia. He is also the founder and General Editor of the African Yearbook of International Law.