New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that the government has filed an appeal against the death penalty awarded to eight Indians by a Qatari court last month. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Thursday that Delhi has “already filed an appeal”.
Meanwhile Mr. Bagchi said that no further information about the case was available and that it was a confidential court order. He further stated that the case has been appealed after considering all legal options and the Ministry of External Affairs is continuing to communicate with the Qatari authorities on the matter.
“The judgment is confidential. There is a court of first instance that gave the judgement which was shared with our legal team. Considering all legal options, an appeal has been filed. We are in touch with the Qatari authorities,” the MEA said.
In August 2022, Qatar detained eight former Indian Navy officers on suspicion of espionage for Israel while they were employed by a company in Qatar. The individuals—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—were apprehended by Qatari intelligence agencies in Doha on August 30, 2022. The Qatari authorities also rejected their bail application. Then the court sentenced them to death in October. Bharat’s response to the issue was that it was a ‘shocking verdict’.
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