Amid the ongoing row over the death sentences issued against eight ex-Navy personnel from India, a Qatari court on Thursday accepted the appeal filed by the Indian government opposing the death penalties. As per media reports, the next hearing is expected soon as the court said they are studying the appeal.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), “The judgment is confidential. There is a court of first instance that gave the judgment, which was shared with our legal team. Considering all legal options, an appeal has been filed. We are in touch with the Qatari authorities.”
In context of the matter, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi has asserted that India is actively engaged with the Qatari authorities and that the government will continue to extend all legal and consular assistance to the former Navy personnel.
About the case
Earlier in October, a Qatar court sentenced as many as eight former Indian Navy personnel to death after they were detained in the country for over a year on suspicion of working as spies for Israelw. All of them reportedly were employed by a company based in the Middle Eastern nation.
The former officers — Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh — were arrested by Qatar intelligence agency from Doha on August 30, 2022.
The bail pleas of the Navy veterans were rejected several times by Qatari authorities. The death penalty was announced by the Court of First Instance of Qatar in October this year.
