According to sources in Qatar and India that were cited by news agency Reuters, eight former members of the Indian Navy were accused of spying for Israel and were given the death penalty by a court in Qatar on Wednesday. In August 2022, the Indian nationals were taken into custody by the spy agency based in Qatar. Nevertheless, neither New Delhi nor Doha formally revealed the charges against them.
Knowing Qatar’s position, an Indian government official disclosed that these people were being accused of spying for Israel by Qatari officials. A person familiar with the case in Qatar told Reuters that the eight Indians who are facing the death penalty have the opportunity to appeal their sentences.
The foreign ministries of Qatar and India have declined to comment on the allegations that these sources made to Reuters. Moreover, the Jerusalem office of the Prime Minister, which is in charge of Israel’s intelligence services, has not responded as of yet.
The Court of First Instance in Qatar delivered its ruling, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India expressed ‘deep shock’ and stated that it is considering all available legal options.
‘We are deeply shocked by the verdict of 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,’ MEA said in an official statement.
‘We attach high importance to this case, and have been following it closely. We will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also take up the verdict with Qatari authorities,’ it added.
Notably, more than 8,000 Indian nationals are employed in Qatar. On August 30, 2022, the Qatari intelligence agency detained the former Indian Navy officers, who included Captains Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, Saurabh Vasisht, Amit Nagpal, Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh.
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