They also expressed concern over what Pakistan would do next.
With the clock ticking towards the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the fate of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national accused by Pakistan of being a spy, his friends say they are praying for the best outcome.
"We have big hopes today. We want his release. We are also praying. We are thankful to Modi government for all their efforts," Jadhav's childhood friend, Arvind Singh, told Zee Media.
"I am happy about the fact that our country has represented this case very well in the ICJ. (Harish) Salve Ji has done a great job," Singh said, reported news agency ANI.
However, they also seem to be tempering their expectations, in the awareness that ICJ verdicts are not binding and Pakistan may not be compelled to act according to the judgement.
"I am hopeful that Jadhav will be freed soon… We have high hopes from ICJ today. My only fear is what next Pakistan will do?" said Vandana Tulsidas Pawar, another of Jadhav's friends.
The verdict is likely to be read out by ICJ president Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf at around 6:30 pm (IST) at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
A military court in Pakistan had in April 2017 convicted Jadhav on charges of terrorism and sentenced him to death. Pakistani authorities claimed to have arrested Jadhav in Balochistan. However, Indian officials have said Jadhav was a former Indian Navy officer who had left the service and was working in eastern Iran. They added that he had been abducted from Iran and brought to Pakistan by Jaish al Adl, a terrorist outfit that is a rebranding of the banned Jundullah.
India had moved the ICJ with just days to go before Jadhav's scheduled execution. It accused Pakistan of violating a number of global conventions since it did not inform the Indian government about his alleged arrest, and also refused to let Indian officials meet him.
A 10-member bench of the ICJ in May 2017 asked Pakistan to hold off the execution while it heard the case. It also refused in February to allow Pakistan to play to it the so-called 'confessional statement'.
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