Indian envoy met ex-Navy men on Qatar death row after PM-Emir talks
India was given a round of consular access to the detainees on November 7, but this was the first time that the Indian ambassador, Vipul, got an opportunity to meet them.
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PM Narendra Modi with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during COP28 in Dubai last week. (PTI)FOR THE first time since eight former Indian Navy personnel were handed death sentences by a Qatari court in October, the Indian ambassador in Doha met them in prison on December 3.
This consular access was granted just a couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai on December 1. The two leaders had discussed bilateral partnership and the “well-being of the Indian community” living in Qatar.
India was given a round of consular access to the detainees on November 7, but this was the first time that the Indian ambassador, Vipul, got an opportunity to meet them.
“We are closely following the matter and extending all legal and consular assistance… Our ambassador got consular access to meet all eight of them in prison on December 3,” the Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, said on Thursday.
#WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says, “You would have seen Prime Minister Modi meet Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad, the Amir of Qatar in Dubai on the sidelines of CoP28. They’ve had a good conversation on the overall bilateral relationship as well as in the well-being of the… pic.twitter.com/PfcBKtKvnm
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2023
This comes weeks after the Indian government appealed against the death penalty handed to the eight men, on the alleged charge of espionage, by a Qatar court on October 26. The appeal, filed before an appellate court in Qatar, was accepted in the last week of November.
While two hearings on the appeal were held earlier, the third hearing was held on Thursday. After the Court of Appeal issues its decision, the case will go to the Court of Cassation.
On the sidelines of the #COP28 Summit in Dubai yesterday, had the opportunity to meet HH Sheikh @TamimBinHamad, the Amir of Qatar. We had a good conversation on the potential of bilateral partnership and the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/66a2Zxb6gP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 2, 2023
The Indian nationals, all employees of Doha-based Dahra Global, were taken into custody in August 2022. The charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities. According to a report in the Financial Times, they were charged with spying for Israel.
Sources said the Indians had been working in their private capacity with Dahra Global to oversee the induction of Italian small stealth submarines U2I2. They have been identified as 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.
According to the MEA, the Qatar court judgment remains confidential, and has been shared with the legal team.
Days after the verdict, which India had called “deeply shocking”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had met their family members and assured them that the government attached “the highest importance” to the case.
In addition to government efforts, the families of the eight have also submitted a mercy plea to the Emir of Qatar.
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