New Delhi: Qatar has launched eight Indian ex-navy officers who had been working for a personal firm and had been sentenced to demise by a Qatari court docket in October 2023. Seven of them have returned to India, whereas one is anticipated to hitch them quickly. The launch got here after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the COP 28 summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023. The two leaders mentioned bilateral relations and regional points, and the Emir of Qatar assured PM Modi of his private intervention within the case of the Indian residents.
The Indian authorities welcomed the discharge and expressed its appreciation for the choice of the Emir of Qatar. In a press launch, the Ministry of External Affairs stated, “The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals.”
The eight Indian residents had been arrested in Qatar in (*7*) 2022 on prices of espionage and sabotage. They had been working for the Dahra Global firm, which offers safety and upkeep companies to Qatar’s Ministry of Defence. They had been accused of leaking delicate info and inflicting injury to Qatar’s defence installations.
On October 26, 2023, a Qatari court docket sentenced them to demise after a trial that was criticized by human rights teams and the Indian authorities for lack of transparency and due course of. The Indian authorities had lodged a powerful protest and sought consular entry to the detainees. The Indian ambassador to Qatar, Vipul, was capable of meet them on December 3, 2023, after the intervention of the Emir of Qatar.
The case was taken up by the Court of Appeal in Qatar, which heard the arguments of the defence attorneys and the prosecution on November 20 and 23, 2023. On December 28, 2023, the Court of Appeal overturned the demise sentence and ordered the discharge of the eight Indian residents.
The launch of the Indian residents is a serious diplomatic success for India and demonstrates the sturdy ties between the 2 nations. Qatar is a vital associate for India within the Gulf area, with bilateral commerce exceeding $10 billion and greater than 700,000 Indians dwelling and dealing in Qatar. The two nations have additionally cooperated on vitality, safety, and counter-terrorism points.
