India files appeal against death penalty of Navy officers in Qatar

The Indian government has appealed the death sentences that were handed down to eight Indians by a Qatari court last month.

The eight former Indian Navy personnel were detained in Qatar for over a year before being sentenced to death.

The former Indian Navy officials, including 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 by Qatari intelligence services in Doha on August 30, 2022.

The bail pleas of the Navy veterans were rejected several times by Qatari authorities. The death penalty was announced by the Court of First Instance of Qatar in October.

8 Indian Navy personnel sentenced to death in Qatar for espionage

mmnews.tv

Reports said that the Indian officials were sentenced on charges of espionage.

The MEA on Thursday said, “The judgment is confidential. There is a court of first instance that gave the judgement which was shared with our legal team. Considering all legal options, an appeal has been filed. We are in touch with the Qatari authorities.”

“We got another round of consular access with the eight Indians on November 7. We are in touch with the family members,” the MEA said and added, “We will continue to extend all legal and consular support and we urge everyone not to engage in speculation considering the sensitive nature of the case.”