NEW DELHI: A Qatar court on Thursday sentenced eight former Indian Navy officers to death on spying charges. They have been detained in the country in August last year.
The Indian government confirmed the Qatar court’s verdict and expressed deep shock, stating that it attaches significant importance to this case. They further conveyed their intention to discuss the verdict with Qatari authorities.
Although local media reports suggested that the eight individuals, all former Indian navy officials employed by a private company in Qatar, were arrested on charges of spying in August 2022, Reuters could not independently verify these allegations. Neither the Indian government nor Qatari authorities have publicly disclosed the specific charges against these men.
A spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry did not provide a comment in response to requests for clarification. The government’s statement on Thursday emphasized the confidential nature of the proceedings, making it inappropriate to make further comments at this stage.
Indian foreign ministry officials, including Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, had previously expressed that the exact nature of the charges against these eight Indian men remains unclear. It is worth noting that over 800,000 Indian citizens currently reside and work in Qatar.
