A Qatar court has issued a death penalty verdict for eight Indian nationals who were detained in the country in 2022, according to the Indian government's announcement on Thursday.
Reports in the local media suggest that these eight individuals, all former Indian navy personnel employed by a private company in Qatar, were arrested in August 2022 on charges of espionage. However, neither the Indian government nor Qatari authorities have disclosed the specific charges against them.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the matter, stating that due to the confidential nature of the legal proceedings, further comments would not be appropriate at this time.
Indian government officials, including Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, have previously noted that the exact nature of the charges against these eight Indian men remains unclear.
With over 800,000 Indian citizens residing and working in Qatar, this case has raised concerns about their welfare and the legal process they are facing.
