A Qatar court has reduced sentences for eight former Indian Navy personnel involved in an alleged espionage case, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
This development follows the acceptance of an appeal by Qatar's Court of First Instance against the death sentences initially given to the Navy veterans.
"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 detailed judgment is awaited," stated the MEA in an official statement.
"Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present at the Court of Appeal today, along with 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," it added.
The MEA awaits a detailed judgment on the reduced sentences and reaffirms its commitment to ongoing engagement with Qatari authorities.
The eight former Indian Navy officers, detained in Qatar for over a year, received the death penalty on October 26. They were reportedly arrested in August 2022 by Qatar's intelligence agency for spying.
The eight men are Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commodore Amit Nagpal, Commodore Purnendu Tiwari, Commodore Sugunakar Pakala, Commodore Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh.
