Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally supervising New Delhi's efforts to free eight Navy veterans imprisoned in Qatar, the External Affairs Ministry announced today, hours after seven of them arrived in Delhi. Responding to media inquiries during a special briefing, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra stated, "Prime Minister Modi has personally overseen this matter. This (the release) demonstrates his leadership and also reflects the strength of (India-Qatar) relations".
The Navy veterans, sentenced to death by a Qatar court in October last year on charges of espionage, were employees of private firm Dahra Global involved in training the Qatar Navy. Notably, neither New Delhi nor Doha has publicly commented on the allegations against them.
Expressing gratitude for their return, Foreign Secretary Kwatra said, "We deeply appreciate the decision of Qatar's government and the Amir to release them. Prime Minister has himself personally constantly supervised all the developments in this case and has never shied away from any initiatives that would ensure the return of Indian nationals back to home".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a diplomatic tour, commencing with a visit to Qatar after concluding his engagements in the UAE on February 14. Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra announced that during the visit to Doha, PM Modi will engage in bilateral discussions with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad, the Amir of Qatar, and other high-ranking dignitaries. This marks PM Modi's second visit to Qatar, reinforcing the robust bilateral trade relationship between India and Qatar, currently standing at $20 billion.
Providing insights into PM Modi's UAE visit from February 13-14, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra outlined the planned engagements.
This includes a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, followed by a bilateral discussion and the exchange of agreements. This marks the fifth meeting between the two leaders in the last eight months. Additionally, on February 14, PM Modi will participate in the World Governments Summit 2024 as a guest of honour, delivering a keynote address on the closing day.
When questioned about the number of Indian prisoners in UAE, Qatar, and other countries, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said: "Govt of India has extensive mechanisms in place counsellor dialogues and discussions involving the Indian system and the systems in those countries. One of the principal tasks is to keep working towards the early release of all the Indian prisoners irrespective of which country they are from."
"There are also established mechanisms and systems in place which ensure that whatever assistance wherever possible is to be made available to these prisoners, is made available through govt mechanisms. These are the systems which have been strengthened enormously, and whose remit has been expanded extensively," he added further.
Regarding the inauguration of the BAPS temple, Kwatra stated, "The inauguration programme of BAPS temple is one of the key parts of PM Modi's UAE visit. As per the information available right now, around 2,000-5,000 devotees are expected to visit the temple on that day".
In December, Prime Minister Modi met with the Qatari Emir on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai to discuss the "well-being of the Indian community" in Qatar.
It is understood that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval played a key role in the negotiations with Qatari authorities to secure the release of the Indians, making a number of quiet visits to Doha.
The Indian nationals, who worked for the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022, reportedly for espionage.
The charges were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25, last year, and they were tried under Qatari law.
Al-Dhara Global closed its Doha operations in May of last year, and all of its employees (primarily Indians) have since returned home.