New Delhi [India] : A Qatari court has accepted the appeal document on the sentencing of eight former Indian naval personnel to death, sources familiar with the matter said. An appeal was filed by India against the death penalty awarded to the eight Indian ex-Navy personnel in Qatar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), on November 9, stated that the judgment remains "confidential", adding that the appeal was filed in the case.
The MEA also urged everyone to refrain from "engaging in speculation" due to the sensitive nature of the case, adding that the Indian embassy received another consular access on November 7. MEA chief spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said earlier, "Qatar's court passed a judgement on October 26 in the case involving 8 employees of Al Dara company."
Bagchi added that the retired naval personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on charges that have not yet been made public officially. "They (the legal team) are now pursuing further legal steps and an appeal has already been filed," he said. "The judgment is confidential and has only been shared 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," the MEA spokesperson said at a weekly media briefing earlier.
The MEA has been actively coordinating with the Qatari authorities and secured consular access on November 7. Further, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also met with the family members of the former naval personnel, who have been sentenced.
"On November 7, the Indian embassy in Doha received another consular access to the detainees," Bagchi informed during the media briefing, adding, "We are in touch with their family members too. External Affairs Minister met the family members earlier this month in New Delhi." The eight former Indian Navy personnel were employees of Dahra Global, a Doha-based private defence services provider. They were arrested in August 2022 for alleged espionage.
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