Qatar commutes death penalties of 8 ex-Indian Navy personnel: Report
Eight former Indian Navy personnel—who were handed death sentences by a Qatar court in October over espionage charges—will now face reduced punishments, per government officials. The details of their commuted sentences have not been disclosed since the full judgment is yet to be released. However, they are likely to be awarded lengthy prison terms. Meanwhile, Indian government officials said they were working closely with the legal team and the families of the accused to determine the next steps.
Why does this story matter?
A Qatari court sentenced the eight former officials of the Indian Navy to death on October 26 for alleged espionage after detaining them in August 2022. In response to the verdict, India expressed shock and filed an appeal. The case's first hearing was held in the Court of Appeal of Qatar on November 30. Notably, the reduction in the sentence came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad on the COP28 sidelines this month.
All 8 have been detained for espionage
All those detained were accused of espionage. They are Commanders Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Amit Nagpal, and Sanjeev Gupta; Captains Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, and Saurabh Vasisht; and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. They include decorated military personnel who once led Indian warships and were employed by a private company—Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services—offering training to Qatar's armed forces. They have been imprisoned since August 2022 and were accused of spying for Israel.
Qatar court commutes death sentence of Indian sailors
Families of accused deny any wrongdoing
Meanwhile, the families of those sentenced have strongly denied all charges of espionage against them, saying the former Indian Navy personnel never worked for Israeli intelligence. "They went to build the Qatari Navy and build that nation's security. They could never spy. There are no proof of allegations (sic)," they asserted in a statement to NDTV. All eight were working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services when they were arrested for allegedly spying for Israel.
India will continue to stand by them, says ambassador
On Thursday, Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal, along with other officials, was present at the Court of Appeal on Thursday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter...we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities." However, it stopped short of revealing further details, underscoring the confidential and sensitive nature of the case proceedings.
