On 26 October 2023, the Court of First Instance in Qatar issued a death penalty to eight highly decorated former Indian Navy officers who were detained by the Qatari intelligence service in Doha last year on espionage charges. In response to this verdict, India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed profound shock. The ministry further stated its commitment to providing ongoing consular and legal support to secure the release of these eight former Indian Navy officers.
The statement by MEA read, “We are deeply shocked by the verdict of death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgement. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options. We attach high importance to this case, and have been following it closely. We will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also take up the verdict with Qatari authorities. Due to the confidential nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture,”.
It’s important to highlight that since the detention of the eight former Indian Navy officers in August of the previous year, their requests for bail have been consistently denied, and Qatari authorities have repeatedly extended their incarceration. However, until April of this year, Qatari authorities had not specified the charges against them. Only recently did they confirm that these Indian Navy personnel, who were held in solitary confinement for extended periods, are facing allegations of spying for Israel regarding the country’s advanced submarines.
Among the incarcerated officers, Commander Purnendu Tiwari (Retd) holds the position of managing director in the company that received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2019. This accolade was presented by none other than the then-President, Ram Nath Kovind. The other detained individuals include Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, Sugunakar Pakala, Sanjeev Gupta, Amit Nagpal, Rajesh Gopakumar, and Saurav Vashisht.
The eight Indians were employed by the Qatari Emiri Navy through the Qatar firm Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, which provided training and technical support to them. These eight former Indian Navy officers were apprehended on 30 August 2022. The Qatari authorities accused them of espionage for Israel, particularly concerning Israel’s advanced submarines, which are manufactured in Italy and reputedly equipped with metamaterials that enhance their stealth capabilities, making them more difficult to detect.
Reports in April of this year raised concerns that these ex-Indian Navy officers might have been falsely implicated by Pakistani intelligence agencies. According to these reports, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, may have persuaded Qatari authorities of potential Indian involvement, citing the case of former Indian Navy commander Kulbhushan Yadav, who was abducted from Iran and detained in Pakistan on suspicion of espionage.
The Indian embassy has been actively involved since the officers’ detention by Qatari authorities, arranging regular family visits and providing consular and legal support to the Navy personnel. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has expressed its commitment to assist these individuals.
This verdict has come amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as Qatar is home to top Hamas leadership who live in opulence.
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