India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met families of former Indian Navy personnel on Monday, who were handed death sentences last week by a Qatar Court, and assured them that the government of India was pursuing the case with the highest level of importance.
"Met this morning with the families of the 8 Indians detained in Qatar. Stressed that (the) Government attaches the highest importance to the case. Fully share the concerns and pain of the families. Underlined that (the) Government will continue to make all efforts to secure their release. Will coordinate closely with the families in that regard", the minister wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Indian Navy veterans, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year on charges of espionage, reports said. On 26 October, Qatar's Court of First Instance sentenced them to death in the case.
The charges levelled against them have not been made public by any of the countries, reports said. Earlier, last week, when the news broke, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed shock over the verdict and said it would contest the Qatar court's decision.
"We are deeply shocked by the verdict of the death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgement. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options", the MEA said in an official statement issued immediately after the verdict.
Timeline of Case
Eight Indian men were arrested on 30 August 2022 in Qatar.
Indian authorities secured consular access in October 2022.
The last of several bail pleas filed was rejected and charges were filed against them in March 2023.
The accused were awarded the death penalty in October 2023.