In a big diplomatic win for India, Qatar released eight ex-Indian navy personnel who were detained and commuted execution sentencing in connection with an alleged case of espionage in 2022.
“The release of eight Indian nationals who were jailed in Qatar while employed with Dahra Global is welcomed by the Indian government. Of the eight, seven have gone back to India. We are grateful that the Amir of the State of Qatar has made the decision to facilitate these citizens’ release and return home,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release on Monday morning.
What’s the case about?
Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh are the eight Indian Navy veterans. They were all employed by Dahra Global, a private corporation, in their respective capacities. They were directing the induction of Italian U212 stealth submarines in the Qatari Emiri Naval Force.
These ex-Navy officers all served in the Indian Navy for “unblemished stints” that lasted up to 20 years. According to former military sources cited by news agency PTI, all of the former Navy commanders had “unblemished stints” of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and had held significant roles, including that of instructors.
A brief timeline of case
August 2022: The Indian nationals, who were employed by the private business Al Dahra, were reportedly detained in August on suspicion of spying.
October 2023: The eight Indian nationals were detained in October 2022 and held in a prison in Qatar on charges that they were spying on a submarine program.
March 2023: The eight Indian Navy veterans were charged on March 25 and their case proceeded under Qatari legal proceedings.
May 2023: Dahra Global ceased operations in Doha, at which point its previous staff—the majority of whom were Indians—returned home.
Oxtober 2023: The Court of First Instance in Qatar sentenced the eight Indians to death on October 26. India promised to investigate all legal possibilities in the matter and called the verdict “deeply” disturbing.
9 November 2023: A higher court in Qatar accepted the plea after an appeal against the death penalty was filed. The legal representatives of the detained Indian nationals filed the appeal.
16 November 2023: India stated that it was hoped that the appeal procedure against the death sentence imposed on eight former Indian Navy officers by a Qatari court will result in a favorable decision. Spokesman for the External Affairs Ministry Arindam Bagchi had stated that India is in communication with the Qatari authorities over the issue and that the government will keep providing all legal and consular support to Indian citizens.
23 November 2023: India’s appeal against the death penalty was accepted.
7 December 2023: The Indian ambassador to Qatar met eight former Indian Navy personnel who were handed death sentence by a Qatari court in October. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said two hearings on the appeal against the death sentence have already taken place.
27 December 2023: Eight Indian veterans had their death sentences commuted by a Qatari appeal court. “We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced,” the EAM stated in a statement. The ministry stated that a thorough ruling was pending but did not elaborate on the nature of the “reduced” penalty. The appellate court’s decision, which was rendered weeks after Prime Minister Modi met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, on the fringes of the COP28 Summit in Dubai, was also viewed as a significant diplomatic victory for India.
4 January 2024: The External Affairs Ministry announced that there is now a 60-day opportunity to appeal the case to the highest court in Qatar, one week after a court in Qatar mitigated the death sentences of eight Indian ex-Navy members. The court ruling, which is a confidential document, was in the possession of the MEA’s legal staff, according to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press briefing.
Also read: Modi Govt’s Huge Diplomatic Win: Eight Indian Navy Veterans On Death Sentence In Qatar Released
