Qatar: In a major development, the death penalty of eight ex-Indian Navy personnel in Qatar has been reduced to jail terms, the Ministry of External (MEA) said on Thursday. They include seven ex-Navy officers and one Indian sailor.
MEA has said that the detailed judgment on reduced sentences of Navy veterans is awaited and that they will continue to engage with Qatari authorities.
The external affairs ministry issued a statement on the verdict in the Dahra Global case in Qatar and said, "We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced."
"The detailed judgment is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps."
"Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities," it said.
"Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture," the MEA said.
Speaking on the development, Vice Admiral Anil Chawla (retd.) said, "This news has come as a huge relief to the entire country as well as the naval community... We are grateful to the Emir of Qatar for having commuted the death penalty, and also to the Government of India, especially for the personal intervention of Prime Minister Modi...We hope the officers are released as early as possible and sent back to India."
Diplomatic win for India
The appellate court verdict is also seen as a big diplomatic win for India as it comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai.
After the meeting on December 1, Modi said they discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar.
The Indian nationals, who were working with Doha-based Al Dahra Global Technologies, were taken into custody in August 2022 in an alleged espionage case. While the charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities, they were sentenced to death by Qatar’s Court of First Instance in October this year.
The private firm provided training and other services to Qatar's armed forces and security agencies. India had moved the Court of Appeal in Qatar against the death sentence last month.
"Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities," the ministry statement said.
The court verdict was welcomed by political parties, former diplomats and security experts, among others.
With inputs from PTI
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