Qatar court allows plea against death to former Indian Navy men

New Delhi, November 24

A court in Qatar has accepted the appeal against the death penalty by eight former Indian Navy personnel, according to reports and sources.

The eight, including seven former officers, were sentenced to death last month in an alleged espionage case. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had expressed “shock” over the verdict. The appeal was filed earlier this month.

Arindam Bagchi, MEA spokesperson, had earlier said, “Qatar’s court passed a judgment on October 26 in the case involving eight employees of Al Dara company… the judgment is confidential and has been shared only with the legal team. They are now pursuing further legal steps and an appeal has already been filed. We will also remain engaged with the Qatari authorities in this matter.”

Qatar’s intelligence agency had arrested the eight men in August 2022. Signalling that it viewed the case seriously, the Qatar court had repeatedly rejected their bail pleas. It is also yet to make public the charges against them or the court’s verdict that held them guilty. The MEA has urged restraint and cautioned against speculation due to the case’s sensitive nature.

7 officers among 8 convicted of ‘espionage’

• Seven former officers were among eight ex-Navy men sentenced to death in October in an alleged spying case
• MEA had expressed ‘shock’ over the verdict and vowed to explore legal aspects
• All the eight were employees of private company Al Dara
• While the court passed the judgment on Oct 26, appeal was filed earlier this month
• The Qatar court had repeatedly rejected their bail pleas