Ex-Navy men have 60 days to appeal against jail term: MEA

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 4

The eight former Navy men jailed in Qatar have been given prison terms of varying durations and now have 60 days to appeal against the ruling by Qatar’s court of appeal, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

“We issued a press release in which we informed you that the death sentence, which was originally a death penalty, has been changed to imprisonment. Now, our legal team has that court order, and I can confirm that all of them have received sentences of different durations, and the death penalty has been abolished,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a media briefing here on Thursday.

Last month, the Court of Appeal in Qatar commuted the death sentence handed down to the Indians and sentenced them to prison for varying durations. The verdict came weeks after the family members of the Indians filed an appeal against the earlier order by another court.

The eight former Navy personnel were arrested in Qatar in October 2022 for allegedly spying on a submarine programme. The MEA also said the detailed judgment from the Court of Appeal was awaited and it was closely coordinating with the legal team and the families of the individuals involved.

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