New Delhi, December 28: In a major relief to eight former Indian Navy personnel detained in Qatar and facing death penalty, the Court of Appeal has commuted the death sentence. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday, December 28, released a statement saying they are waiting for a detained judgment.
"We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced. The detailed judgement is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps," the MEA said.
The verdict came days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai.
Hearing in Court of Appeal
India's Ambassador to Qatar and other Indian officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members of the detained Navy veterans. The MEA said it will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance take up the matter with the Qatari authorities.
"Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture," the ministry added.
Names of detained former naval officers
The detained eight former Indian Navy personnel are 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.
