India Challenges Death Sentence Awarded To 8 Ex-Navy Personnel In Qatar: MEA

Addressing a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Delhi has already filed an appeal with Qatar.

India Challenges Death Sentence Awarded To 8 Ex-Navy Personnel In Qatar: MEA

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New Delhi: India has filed an appeal with Qatar against the death sentence awarded to eight former Navy personnel last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Delhi has already filed an appeal in the case. The judgement is confidential... has only been shared with the legal team. We are now pursuing further legal steps.”

"We are in touch with the family of the eight Naval officers…If you remember, External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) met their family in Delhi. We will continue to extend all possible legal and consular support," Bagchi further said.

Bagchi further said that the Indian embassy in Qatar has received another consular access to the detained Navy veterans on Tuesday and that New Delhi will keep extending all legal and consular support to them.

It is to be noted that the Qatar Court awarded death sentence to the eight Navy veterans on October 26. India termed the order as "deeply" shocking as it vowed to explore all legal options in the case.

According to reports, the Indian nationals used to work with private company Al Dahra. They were arrested in August last year in an alleged case of espionage. The charges were filed against the former navy personnel on March 25 and they were tried under the Qatari law.

Reacting the court ruling, the MEA said it is attaching "high importance" to the case and will look into all legal options possible.

It is to be noted that Al Dahra is a private company that provides training and related services to Qatar's armed forces.

All of the Navy veterans had "unblemished stints" of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and held important positions, including that of instructors in the force, PTI quoted former military officials as saying.