Qatar has accepted India’s appeal against the death sentence awarded to eight former Indian Navy personnel, in an alleged case of espionage. The eight men, including officers who have commanded major Indian warships, were working for a private firm that provided training and services to Qatar’s armed forces.
The Court of First Instance in Qatar will now decide a date for the appeal hearing. The eight men were arrested in August 2022 on charges of spying. The death sentence was pronounced in October, sending shock-waves in diplomatic circles. Their bail pleas have been rejected multiple times and Indian authorities have been working hard to secure their release.
The arrested Indian Navy veterans are Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander in Saurabh Vasisht and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. Earlier in June, Meetu BhaSanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captargava, sister of one of the former officers detained had sought the government’s help to bring back her brother.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source said earlier last year that a friendly conversation by the Navy personnel with an Indian diplomat posted at Doha sparked suspicion among Qatari authorities that secret information may have been exchanged.
