The Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release that the Qatari Court commuted the death penalty for eight former Indian naval officers it had detained in the Dahra Global case on Thursday. The sentence has been lowered to a period of imprisonment. “We have noted the verdict of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement following the ruling. The MEA added that they are closely coordinating with the Qatari legal team and are awaiting the case’s detailed ruling.
MEA added, “The detailed judgement is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps. Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities.”
The eight Indian nationals have been imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022 and were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. The retired naval personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on charges that have not yet been made public officially.