A week after Qatar’s Court of Appeal commuted the death sentences of eight Indian ex-Navy personnel, a sixty-day window has been given for the legal team to file an appeal in the highest court of that country. The Navy veterans were on October 26, 2023 given death sentences by Qatar’s Court of First Instance.
Official Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal during the weekly briefing said: “The legal team has received the court order. This is a confidential document. The judgement which was given on Dec 20 – there are varying prison sentences for them.’
The newly appointed spokesperson of MEA Jaiswal highlighted the time-based significance of this period and stated “As far as the issue is concerned, there is a time of 60 days when this issue can be appealed in the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court in Qatar.”
It has been reported in Financial Express Online earlier that the Qatar court had reduced the death sentences to imprisonment terms. Jaiswal confirmed in response to a media query that the death penalty which was pronounced earlier has now been changed to imprisonment sentences.
Background
The Court of Appeal in Qatar last year in December had commuted the death sentence handed down to the Indian Navy veterans and had sentenced them to prison for varying durations. The verdict had come after the family members of the veterans had filed an appeal against the earlier order by another court.
Sixty days’ time has been given to file an appeal against the order at Qatar’s highest court, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.
As reported previously in October 2022, eight former Indian Navy personnel were arrested in Qatar on charges related to alleged spying on a submarine programme. And following the order last month by the Court of Appeal, the MEA assured that they are closely coordinating with the legal team and the families of the individuals involved.
While underscoring the collaborative effort to navigate the complexities of the case, Jaiswal said that the legal team is working on this issue, and also working with the family.