Saved From The Noose, Eight Ex-Indian Navy Officers Still Face 3 To 25 Years In Qatar Jail

More details have emerged about the eight former Indian Navy personnel who were arrested in August 2022 in Qatar for alleged spying.

While an appeal court has commuted the death sentences awarded to them, they will still have to serve prison terms for varying durations.

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Death sentence commuted to jail term

According to reports, the prison terms handed to the former Indian Navy personnel range from three years to 25 years.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which announced the commutation of the death sentences on Thursday, has not shared further details on their jail term.

"For the moment, I do not have any additional information to share till we see the judgment," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

"The sentences have been reduced. But till we have the details, I do not want to comment. We will, of course, be discussing the next possible steps with the legal team and the family members," he said.

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Can they serve jail time in India?

Bagchi further said that India will explore the next possible steps in the case after studying the verdict and holding discussions with their legal team and family members.

In 2015, India had signed a pact with Qatar on the transfer of sentenced persons.

The pact allows the citizens of India and Qatar who have been convicted and sentenced for criminal offences to serve their sentences in their home countries. But Qatar is reportedly yet to ratify the pact.

"Yes, there is such an agreement. However, I am not sure whether such an agreement requires ratification by both sides, and I would have to check whether the Qatari side has ratified it or not," the MEA spokesperson said.

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Why were they arrested?

It should be noted that the charges against the eight men, who, according to Indian authorities, have "unblemished stints" of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and held important positions, including that of instructors in the force, have not been made public.

They were working with Doha-based Al Dahra Global Technologies, a private firm that provided training and other services to Qatar's armed forces and security agencies. The eight men were taken into custody in August 2022 and sentenced to death for unspecified charges in October.

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