The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said India is hopeful for a positive outcome of the appeal in a Qatari court against the death sentence awarded to eight Indian nationals.
India recently formally appealed the 26 October decision of a local court in Qatar to sentence eight former navy officials to death in an espionage case.
Overview
Responding to a question on the status of the appeal and whether it had been accepted or rejected, Bagchi said that he was “not aware of any decision at all by the Court of Appeal in this regard.”
The MEA said that the appeal on behalf of the detainees is in the process.
#India is hopeful for a positive outcome in the case involving eight of its nationals who have been given the death penalty by a court in #Qatar, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, said. https://t.co/0DFm2TB3vC
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) November 17, 2023
The spokesperson rejected reports suggesting that the appeals had not been adjudicated or decided upon.
“I don’t think that’s actually correct. So yes, the appeal process is underway, and we would hope for a positive outcome,” he said.
Case in Legal Process, Don’t Engage in Speculation
Bagchi mentioned that the case is currently in a legal process there and reiterated that an appeal has been filed in Qatar’s Court of Appeal.
He stressed that the MEA was engaged with the Qatari authorities on the matter, and reassured that India would continue to extend all legal and consular assistance to the detainees.
The spokesperson further urged everyone not to speculate about the matter owing to the sensitive nature of the case.
Moreover, he highlighted that the Qatari side has made the judgment in the entire process confidential.
The Case
Eight retired Indian naval officials working with Qatari Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services, which advised the Doha government on the acquisition of submarines, were sentenced to death.
The accused have been charged with spying for Israel on the submarine program of the Qatari government.
Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vashisht, Commander Purenendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh are the eight officers in jail since August 2022.
The accused, who have been granted consular access on multiple occasions, met the Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, on 1 October after trials in March and June this year.
The Indian government expressed “deep shock” at the judgment, with the Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar meeting the families of the accused on 30 October.