Former diplomat Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha on Monday pointed out what he called a “delicious irony” in the actions of the US Department of Justice, following US President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son over gun crime and tax convictions.
Sinha noted that the same department had recently indicted a prominent business figure in India for alleged bribery cases, while at the same time, Biden, who had previously stated that he would not pardon his son, exercised this power.
Sinha’s comments highlighted concerns over the apparent contradictions in the US legal system’s approach to high-profile cases.
“I must say that I was a bit surprised to read his statement in which he pardoned his son, having in the past said that he would not exercise this Right of Pardon for his son. The reasons he has given surprise me because if the American justice system, the Department of Justice, and the President of the United States don’t have much faith in that system, that is astonishing. It is a delicious irony that the same Department of Justice has indicted captains of industry in India from a very big group, accusing them not of bribing but of planning to bribe state governments in India,” he said.
The former diplomat also raised a point about double standards in the system, stressing that the US should avoid extending its jurisdiction to countries where it has no legal authority.
“However, the main issue here is that we should not follow double standards, especially when you are dealing with foreign countries–do not extend your jurisdiction to countries where you have none,” Sinha added.
Earlier on Sunday, US President Joe Biden signed a pardon for his son, Robert Hunter Biden, who had been convicted on charges related to gun crimes and tax violations. The pardon ensures that Hunter Biden will not face sentencing for these offences and removes the possibility of prison time.
Following the decision, US President-elect Donald Trump responded to the decision, calling it a “miscarriage of justice.”
