New Delhi, December 3
Foreign affairs expert Abhijit Iyer-Mitra on Monday commented on US President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son for gun crime and tax convictions, calling it an acknowledgment of the political nature of the American justice system.
"What Joe Biden's pardoning of his son has done is it's the first time that somebody on the top, no less than the President himself, has finally admitted what we have always known--which is the American system is a completely political system," Iyer-Mitra stated.
He compared the pardon to previous high-profile legal cases, including the arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York by former US Attorney Preet Bharara. He suggested that such cases often serve to elevate the profiles of US attorneys pursuing political careers.
"You remember what happened with Preet Bharara arresting Devyani Khobragade, our diplomat in New York? These attorneys have to come on the news; they have to become household names, and they need publicity. So, they need to pursue a political agenda because they are all up for political office out there," he remarked.
Iyer-Mitra also pointed out that most US Presidents were "lawyers", implying that law serves as a stepping stone to political power.
"most US Presidents have been lawyers. Lawyer is the first step to a political career...The American system always has been and always will be a completely political thing," he 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.
Further expanding on his views, Iyer-Mitra criticised the recent US indictment of industrialist Adani, calling it "100 per cent political."
He described the allegations in the indictment as unfounded, calling the allegation in the indictment "a joke."
"It (US indictment on Adani) was 100 per cent political...What has been alleged in that indictment is a joke...We have known from day one that this was clear political interference because the gentleman who brought it--Breon Peace--is a political appointee," he said.