India-Qatar Relation / India's big victory - Qatar released 8 former Indian marines, 7 officers returned to their country

India-Qatar Relation: Qatar has released 8 Indian former marines. Out of which 7 have returned to India. All these soldiers were serving jail sentences on charges of espionage. Initially he was given death sentence which was later commuted to imprisonment. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said late on Monday (February 12) that the Government of India welcomes the release of 8 Indians working for Dahra Global Company detained in Qatar. We appreciate Qatar's decision to allow them to return home. Arrangements are being made to bring the eighth sailor home.

The death sentence was commuted to imprisonment.

Let us tell you that these 8 former marines were arrested by the State Security Bureau of Qatar's Intelligence Agency on 30 August 2022. All these officers worked in Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy, a private company that provides training to Qatar's navy. Dahra provides global defense services. Along with these 8 sailors, Squadron Leader Khamis Al Ajmi, head of Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy, was also arrested but was released in November 2022. On 26 October 2023, all these former Navy officers were sentenced to death. After which, on 28 December 2023, his death sentence was changed to imprisonment.

#WATCH | Delhi: Qatar released the eight Indian ex-Navy veterans who were in its custody; seven of them have returned to India. pic.twitter.com/yuYVx5N8zR

— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024

Israel accused of spying

It is known that Qatar never made public the allegations leveled against these soldiers, but different media organizations of the world had written about the allegations due to which the former Indian marines were arrested. According to the Financial Times, he was accused of spying for Israel. At the same time, according to a report by Al-Jazeera, these 8 former Navy officers were accused of giving important information related to Qatar's submarine project to Israel. On October 30, the families of these sailors met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and urged them to bring them back to their country. After this the ministry took the help of Turkiye to convince Qatar because Turkiye has very good relations with the royal family of Qatar. India also talked to America in this matter, after which Qatar could be persuaded to release those 8 Indians.

Names of 8 officers released

• Captain Navtej Singh Gill
• Commander Purnendu Tiwari
• Commander Sugunakar Pakala
• Commander Sanjeev Gupta
• Commander Amit Nagpal
• Captain Saurabh Vashishtha
• Captain Birendra Kumar Verma
• Sailor Ragesh

Welcome the release of Indian citizens

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for Dahra Global Company, who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision of the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable them.

In December last year, a Qatari court had overturned the death sentence of eight Indian sailors arrested in the Al Dahra Global case. The death penalty was reduced to prison sentence. This development happened when the Qatar court accepted the appeal filed by the Indian government against the death sentence given to the former marines.

The eight Indian Navy officers detained in Qatar are Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vashishtha, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh.

What is the matter?

Indian nationals working with Al Dahra were arrested in August 2022 in an alleged case of espionage. Given the sensitivity of the matter, neither Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made public the allegations against the Indian nationals. On October 26, 2023, Qatar's Court of First Instance sentenced the naval veteran to death. India described the verdict as deeply shocking and vowed to explore all legal options in the matter.

In its reaction to the Qatari court's decision, the Foreign Ministry said it was attaching high importance to the case and was considering all legal options. Charges were filed against the Indian nationals on March 25, 2023, and they were tried under Qatari law.