A Qatar court on Thursday sentenced as many as eight former Indian defence personnel to death on espionage charges. They were arrested in 2022 and were facing the judicial trial, which finally ended up in awarding them a capital punishment.  

Also read: Eight Ex-Indian Navy Officers Get Death Penalty In Qatar; India To Challenge Verdict

The decision came as a major blow to India with the Ministry of External Affairs saying it will explore all legal options and the issue will be taken up with Qatari Authorities.   

About the case:

Eight Indian navy veterans working with defence services provider firm--Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services-- were arrested last year in Qatar. Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Rajesh, were arrested from Doha by the Qatari intelligence service officials.

The owner of the firm was also nabbed but was later released. The charges against the eight arrestees were not made public by either the Indian or the Qatar governments but media reports in this context revealed it was some security-related matter.

Several reports suggested that the men were charged with spying for Israel on Qatar’s stealth submarines. Since their arrest, they have been kept in confinement. As per reports, their bail order was cancelled eight times by authorities.  

India’s reaction in the backdrop of the case:

In January this year, India’s ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal met the arrested former navy officers and assured them they would be able to return to their country soon. Since then, India have been exploring all possible ways, including diplomatic talks and backchannel efforts to ensure relief to them. The Indian officials also requested the US to exert pressure on Qatar for their release, as per a report in India Today.

Today, when a Qatar court sentenced them to death, India’s foreign ministry expressed ‘shock’ and said they would explore all legal possibilities for them. The statement released by the MEA reads, "We are deeply shocked by the verdict of the death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgment. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options." 

"We attach high importance to this case and have been following it closely. We will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also take up the verdict with Qatari authorities," it added.

Would the Repatriation Act help:

In 2015, India and Qatar signed an agreement to allow Indian convicts in Qatar to complete their remaining sentence in India and vice versa. India has so far signed the agreement with 18 countries under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act, of 2003.

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Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during his visit to India in 2015 signed the deal. This could be among several provisions India could explore to grant relief to its nationals.