New Delhi, 28 December: Eight former Indian Navy personnel, who were sentenced to death in Qatar for alleged espionage, have got a big relief. A court in Qatar has commuted their death sentence. An appeal was filed by India against the death sentence.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed this in a statement on Thursday. The ministry said that we have taken note of today’s decision of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentence has been reduced.
The ministry said a detailed decision on punishment is awaited. Talks will continue with Qatari authorities. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as family members to decide on the next steps.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the court today along with the family members. We have stood with them since the beginning of the case and will continue to provide all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to raise this matter with Qatari authorities. Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the proceedings in this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comments at this time.
It is noteworthy that on October 26, the Qatar court had sentenced eight former Navy personnel to death.
