New Delhi: The eight former Indian Navy personnel imprisoned in Qatar have received a 60-day window to appeal against their prison sentences, announced the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday. This comes after a Qatari court commuted their initial death sentences last week.
On December 28, the Court of Appeal in Qatar replaced the death penalty handed to the Indians in October with varying prison terms. This decision followed an appeal filed by the families after the initial verdict from another court.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that the legal team representing the Indian nationals received a copy of the court order. While acknowledging its confidential nature, he emphasised that the 60-day period allows for an appeal before the Court of Cassation, the highest court in Qatar. The legal team will now determine the next course of action.
The Ministry remains in close contact with both the families and the legal team. While the specific prison terms for the Navy veterans are reportedly between three and 25 years, the Ministry confirmed that the death penalty has been lifted.
The former Navy personnel were initially sentenced to death on October 26 by the Qatari Court of First Instance. They were arrested in August 2023 while working for a private company under alleged charges of espionage, though the specific details remain undisclosed by both Qatari authorities and the Indian government.
India is exploring the possibility of invoking a bilateral agreement on prisoner transfer, signed with Qatar in 2015. This agreement allows convicted individuals from either country to serve their sentences in their home nation. However, there is no confirmation yet regarding Qatar’s ratification of the agreement.