Qatar Sentences 8 Former Indian Navy Personnel To Death, MEA Says 'Deeply Shocked'

The Foreign Affairs Department mentioned that they are talking to the family and is checking out all the legal choices.

A Qatar court has sentenced eight former Indian Navy personnel to death on Thursday. These individuals, who work for the Al Dahra Company, were arrested last year under allegations of espionage. The specific charges made by Qatari authorities against these Indian citizens have not been disclosed to the public. India expressed profound shock at the court's decision and is exploring all available legal avenues in response. 

The MEA said it is "deeply shocked" by the verdict and now awaits the detailed judgement. "We have initial information that the Court of First Instance of Qatar has today passed a judgement in the case involving 8 Indian employees of Al Dahra company," the MEA said in an official press release.

"We are deeply shocked by the verdict of the death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgement. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options," it added.

"We attach high importance to this case, and have been following it closely. We will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also take up the verdict with Qatari authorities," the MEA release said.

"Due to the confidential nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture," it added. The eight Indian nationals have been imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022 and were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme.

New Delhi had been granted consular access to the eight Indians and had been working to secure their release. The Indian nationals had their first trial in late March.
Meetu Bhargava, who is the sister of one the officers detained and lives in Gwalior, sought help from the Indian government to bring her brother back.

It's worth noting that Pakistan has similarly detained former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav on what India believes are false charges of espionage, and this case is currently being heard in an international court.