In a significant diplomatic victory for India, Doha released eight Indian Navy veterans who had been sentenced to death in Qatar. The death penalty was changed to a longer prison sentence after New Delhi intervened diplomatically.
Amidst the urgent requests from the worried families of the Navy veterans to ensure their safe return home, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has promised to utilize all diplomatic means and provide legal support to facilitate their repatriation.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in an official announcement on Monday that seven out of the eight ex-Navy officers have already come back to India.
The Union government issued a formal statement expressing approval of the decision to release the experienced officers, saying, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals."
The eight Indian citizens had been detained in Qatar since October 2022 and were charged with purportedly spying on a submarine project. The former navy members were given the death penalty by a Qatar court for allegations that have not been officially disclosed.
Previously, the Qatari Court reduced the death penalty verdict for eight former Indian naval officers who were detained last year in the Dahra Global case, as stated in a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs. The sentence has been amended to prison terms.
Explaining the ruling, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "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 MEA also mentioned that they are waiting for the detailed verdict in the case and are in constant communication with the legal team in Qatar.
"The detailed judgement 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," added MEA.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the COP28 summit in Dubai, focusing on bilateral cooperation and the welfare of the Indian community residing in Qatar.
Previously, the recently appointed representative for the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaiswal, highlighted the time-sensitive importance of this period, stating, "As far as the issue is concerned, there is a time of 60 days when this issue can be appealed in the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court in Qatar."
The legal team of the Ministry of External Affairs has in its possession a confidential court order that specifies the conversion of death sentences to prison terms. This information was disclosed in a press release after the court of appeal's ruling on December 28.
"We issued a press release in which we informed you that the death sentence, which was originally a death penalty, has been changed to imprisonment sentences. Now our legal team has that court order, and I can confirm that all of them have received sentences of different durations, and the death penalty has been abolished," Jaiswal said.
Additionally, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Court of First Instance of Qatar had also ruled against them.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs also emphasized the recent discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad, stating that they had a positive dialogue regarding the overall bilateral relationship.
