New Delhi: The Court of Appeal of Qatar has dropped the death sentence given to the eight retired Indian Navy officers who are currently imprisoned there on charges of espionage, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the margins of the COP28 meeting in Dubai.
“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 judgement is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release Thursday.
It said, “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 MEA added, “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 death sentence was handed out to the eight ex-Indian Navy personnel on October 26, 2023. They were arrested in August 2022. The former Navy officials were working with a private firm there named Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, headquartered in Doha.
This comes after Prime Minister Modi met the Emir on December 2 in which he raised the issue of the death sentence handed to the eight Navy veterans as New Delhi has urged Doha to halt the death penalty.
ABP Live had reported first that Modi would be discussing the issue with the Qatari Emir and requesting him to reduce the sentence.
So far there have been three hearings in Qatar's Court of Appeal – 23 November, 30 November and 7 December. In the meantime, Ambassador Vipul got consular access to the navy officers, Arindam Bagchi, the outgoing spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry said last week.
The eight navy veterans — 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 Ragesh — were arrested in August 2022 on charges of espionage on behalf of Israel, providing it with sensitive information regarding Qatar’s military submarine programme.
The Qatari authorities had rejected their bail pleas several times while extending their detention.
Commander Tiwari (retd.) was working as the Managing Director for Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services before being arrested. He has been a decorated Navy officer who has commanded several warships of the Indian Navy. He had even received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2019.
After the death sentence was handed down, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the family members of the veterans and assured them of the government’s efforts to bring relief to them.