India providing all possible legal and consular assistance to the 8 Indian nationals, says Ministry of External Affairs
India has appealed against the death sentence handed to eight former Indian Navy officers by a court in Qatar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday (November 9, 2023), adding that India is also in touch with the Qatari authorities regarding the matter.

On October 26, 2023, a court in Qatar had awarded the death penalty to the eight former Indian Navy officers who had been detained in the West Asian in August 2022.

“Qatar has a court of first instance that gave the judgment on eight Indian employees. The judgment is confidential and has been shared only with the legal team. They are examining it and an appeal has been filed in this regard" MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at the weekly media briefing. He added that the MEA was also in touch with the Qatari authorities in this matter.

India also obtained a second consular access to the eight Indian nationals on November 7, 2023, and is in contact with their family members, MEA Spokesperson Bagchi said. “We will provide all legal and consular assistance to them,” he added.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the family members of the former Indian Navy officers in New Delhi on October 30, 2023. He assured them that the Indian government would continue to make all efforts to secure their release. The Indian authorities would coordinate closely with the families in that regard, he said after the interaction. 

While the Indian government as well as the Qatari authorities have not commented on the nature of the charges against the eight, some news reports have suggested that the former Indian Navy officers may have been charged with security-related offences. 
 
The first hearing in the case was held on March 29, 2023 after it was referred to the court by the public prosecution. The Indian Embassy in Doha has been extending necessary consular as well as legal assistance to the detained Indians.