MEA Provides Update on Former Indian Navy Officer’s Release from Qatar Death Row

MEA Provides Update on Former Indian Navy Officer's Release from Qatar Death Row

VoM News Desk | February 29, 2024 | 08:59 PM IST | Breaking News, Courts & Law, India, Qatar | Follow on Google News

MEA Provides Update on Former Indian Navy Officer’s Release from Qatar Death Row

MEA Provides Update on Former Indian Navy Officer’s Release from Qatar Death Row

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified the status of the eighth former Indian Navy officer who was initially sentenced to death by a Qatar court in an espionage case before being released. During a press briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that all eight Indian nationals involved in the Al Dahra Global case have been released.

While seven of them have already returned to India, the eighth Indian national has specific requirements to fulfill before returning. Jaiswal assured that the individual will return as soon as these requirements are completed.

The Navy veterans, including Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh, were detained in August 2022. The Qatar Court of Appeal commuted the death penalty for all eight men on December 28, 2023, after initially being sentenced in October 2023.

The MEA had previously pledged to use diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to facilitate the return of the Navy veterans to India. The release of the former naval personnel followed months of diplomatic efforts and appeals by their families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar during a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai.

VoM News Desk

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