India stated on Thursday that its ambassador had consular access and met with all eight of the Indians who had been given death sentences in Qatar on December 3.
Two hearings have taken place. The families’ appeal was filed by us, and the detainees had one more chance to appeal. There have since been two hearings. We are keeping a close eye on the situation and providing all necessary legal and consular support. On December 3, our ambassador was granted consular access to visit with all eight of them in prison. Although this is a delicate matter, we will follow through and provide all information we can,” spokeswoman for the ministry of external affairs Arindam Bagchi stated during the weekly briefing.
In October, a court in Qatar executed seven retired naval officers and one sailor. The eight men worked for a private company called Al Dahra Global Technologies, which supplied the security services and armed forces of Qatar with training and other services. Since August of last year, they had been detained on vague allegations; rumors have it that they were being imprisoned for espionage.
India pledged to investigate all legal possibilities in the matter and called the verdict “deeply” disturbing. The death sentence has previously been challenged in an appeal, and the petition was accepted by a higher court in Qatar. The legal team representing the detained Indian nationals has filed the appeal.
Admiral R Hari Kumar, the head of the Indian Navy, stated on December 1 that every effort is being made by the government to guarantee the return of the former sailors. “The government is fully supporting and making an effort,” the Navy head had stated.
We are interested in making sure the welfare of the former navy officers in Qatar is taken care of, as they are veterans. The Navy chief continued, “I want to assure you that the Indian government is making every effort to guarantee that they are returned back.
