Indian Ambassador met eight ex-navy men on death row in Qatar, two appeal hearings: MEA
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Indian Ambassador to Qatar was given consular access to the convicted Navy veterans and met them on December 3.
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday shared some crucial updates on the fate of the eight Indian Navy veterans who were sentenced to death after being convicted of espionage by a Qatari court in October this year.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Indian ambassador was given consular access to the convicted ex-navy men and met them on December 3, adding that two hearings on the appeal against their death sentences have already taken place.
“We are closely monitoring the case and providing all legal and consular assistance… Our ambassador was granted consular access on December 3 to meet all eight of them in prison,” Bagchi said at a media briefing.
“There have been two hearings. We appealed together with the families and the detainees were able to lodge a final appeal. Since then, two hearings have taken place. One was on November 30th and the other was on November 23rd. I think the next hearing will take place soon,” he said.
Bagchi also highlighted the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad and said they had a good discussion on the overall bilateral relationship.
“You would have seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting the Emir of Qatar in Dubai on the sidelines of COP28… I think he put out a tweet. I understand that we had a good discussion on the overall bilateral relationship and on the well-being of the Indian community,” Bagchi further said.
On October 30, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the families of eight Indians detained in Qatar and assured them that the government would make every effort to secure their release. The EAM said the government attaches the “highest importance” to the case and will work closely with the families in that regard.
Indian nationals were also given consular access earlier.
On October 26, the naval veterans were sentenced to death by Qatar’s Court of First Instance after being convicted of espionage. The Indian nationals, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year on suspicion of espionage.
However, neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi have made public the charges against the Indian nationals.
India described the ruling as “very” shocking and vowed to explore all legal options in the case.
The charges were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 and they were tried under Qatari law.
All the former naval officers had had “flawless stints” of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and held important positions, including as instructors in the force, former military officials said.
In May, Al-Dhara Global closed its operations in Doha and everyone who worked there (mostly Indians) has since returned home.
In the past, the Navy had taken up the case of the former Navy personnel with top government officials to secure their release.
(With input from agencies)