India gets consular access to Indian Navy veterans jailed in Qatar: MEA
A legal team is looking into the appeal aspect, which is required to be filed within 60 days, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
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Business News/ News / India/ India gets consular access to Indian Navy veterans jailed in Qatar: MEA
The Indian ambassador to Qatar and the embassy officials met eight veteran Navy officials jailed in Qatar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in its briefing on Thursday. The development came after a Qatari court commuted the death sentences of these former Navy officials in the Dahara Global Case. Now, a legal team is looking into the appeal aspect, which is required to be filed within 60 days, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
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"Our ambassador, along with our embassy officials, met the eight detained. As we had conveyed to you last time, the legal team is looking into the appeal aspect. There are 60 days within which they have to file this appeal," Jaiswal stated.
"On December 28, the court of appeal had given their verdict. Now, the matter is to go to the court of secession, which will be decided by the legal team...We still have some time. The consular access we had, our ambassador went and met and looked after their well-being," he said while addressing a press briefing about the consular access with ex-Navy personnel.
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About the eight Indian nationals imprisoned in Qatar
The eight Indian nationals, who previously served in the Indian Navy, were put behind bars for allegedly spying on a submarine programme. At the time of arrest, they were working with the private company Al Dahra. The retired naval personnel were later sentenced to death by a court in Qatar on charges that have not yet been made public officially. Months later, the death sentence was reduced to jail terms.
Describing the judgment, the MEA had said, "We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced.
“The detailed judgment is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps. Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities," the MEA had stated.
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