NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that India has appealed against the death sentence awarded to eight of its citizens by a Qatari court last month.
“On November 7, our embassy in Doha received another consular access to the detainees,” the ministry said, adding that it remains engaged with Qatari authorities over the matter.
The MEA said that it would continue to extend all legal and consular support to the Navy personnel.
In 2022, eight retired Indian Navy personnel working for a defence services provider company in Qatar were taken into custody by the authorities.
Since then, these men were kept in solitary confinement without the Qatari authorities specifying the reason for the detention to the families of the eight men.
The veterans included 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.
Last month, a court in Qatar awarded a death sentence to the eight Indians. The details about the crime and the case were not made public by Qatar.
The MEA had earlier expressed shock over the verdict and said that the government was exploring all legal options.
All of the former Navy officers had “unblemished stints” of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and had held important positions including that of instructors in the force, people familiar with the matter had said earlier.
(With inputs from PTI)
Watch Qatar Death Penalty: Everything you need to know about India’s eight ex-navy officers and the case against them
“On November 7, our embassy in Doha received another consular access to the detainees,” the ministry said, adding that it remains engaged with Qatari authorities over the matter.
The MEA said that it would continue to extend all legal and consular support to the Navy personnel.
In 2022, eight retired Indian Navy personnel working for a defence services provider company in Qatar were taken into custody by the authorities.
Since then, these men were kept in solitary confinement without the Qatari authorities specifying the reason for the detention to the families of the eight men.
The veterans included 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.
Last month, a court in Qatar awarded a death sentence to the eight Indians. The details about the crime and the case were not made public by Qatar.
The MEA had earlier expressed shock over the verdict and said that the government was exploring all legal options.
All of the former Navy officers had “unblemished stints” of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and had held important positions including that of instructors in the force, people familiar with the matter had said earlier.
(With inputs from PTI)
Watch Qatar Death Penalty: Everything you need to know about India’s eight ex-navy officers and the case against them