New Delhi: In a relief to the Indian government, the Qatar court has accepted the former's appeal against the death penalty handed down to eight former Indian Navy personnel.
Eight former Indian Navy personnel were handed death penalty in Qatar by a local court on October 26. The Indian nationals, all employees of Al Dahra company, were taken into custody in August last year in an alleged case of espionage.
Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh were arrested in Doha. The charges against the Indian nationals were not made public by Qatari authorities.
In its reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is attaching "high importance" to this case and is exploring all legal options. The MEA said it will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance to the Indians.
India's ambassador to Qatar met the men in prison on October 1 after being granted consular access.
