Qatar commutes 8 former Indian Navy men’s death sentence

30-12-2023

Qatar commutes 8 former Indian Navy men’s death sentence

Why In the news?

Recently The Court of Appeal of Qatar commuted the death sentence of eight former Indian Navy personnel.  

important point :

• Eight former Indian Navy personnel were arrested from Doha on 30 August 2022 by the Qatar intelligence agency.
• Eight Indian former naval officers who have been sentenced to death by a Qatar court were accused of spying for Israel.
• Commander Purnendu Tiwari, one of the 8 former marines arrested by Qatar, who served as the managing director of the firm, was awarded the Overseas Indian Award by President Ramnath Kovind in 2019 for his contribution in advancing bilateral relations between India and Qatar. Was honored with honors.

What is the whole matter:

• August 2022: Former Indian naval officers detained by Qatari authorities on unspecified charges.
• Months later, Qatari officials revealed that eight former naval officers were allegedly involved in espionage, spying on Qatar's secret submarine program for Israel.
• September 2022: Jailed Indian officials filed their first bail plea, which was later rejected. He was kept in solitary confinement.
• March 2023: The first hearing in the case took place in March this year, followed by the second hearing in June.
• October 2023: India's Ambassador to Qatar granted consular access and met the jailed individuals on October 1.
• October 26, 2023: A local court in Qatar sentenced eight Indian Navy personnel to death.

About eight retired Indian Navy personnel:

• The eight retired Indian marines include seven officers and one sailor.
• The former Indian Navy officers include Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vashishtha, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh.
• The Indian Navy officer was working with Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private company owned by a former Oman Air Force officer.
• The company provided training and various services to Qatar's armed forces and security agencies.
• Dahra Global was discontinued in May 2023 and replaced by Advanced Services and Maintenance.

Relations between India and Qatar:

India and Qatar share a historical relationship, dating back to 1973. We can throw light on the relations between India and Qatar through the following aspects.

• Economic Partnership: India is a major export destination for Qatar and one of its top import sources. Bilateral trade is worth $15 billion, mainly dominated by LNG and LPG exports from Qatar.
• Defense Cooperation: The two countries signed a defense cooperation agreement in 2008. They conduct a bilateral maritime exercise "Exercise Zair-al-Bahr" to enhance maritime security and strengthen naval exchanges.
• Strategic Cooperation: India extends training opportunities to Qatar at its defense institutions, while Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships regularly visit Qatar as part of their bilateral cooperation efforts.
• Investment: Collaborative ventures in India's PSU disinvestment, participation in the National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF), and bids for hydrocarbon blocks under the AID policy were discussed. This could significantly address India's infrastructure investment needs amid banking sector stress and stalled corporate projects.
• Energy: The agreements focusing on the participation of Indian companies in the joint exploration of energy reserves and development of Qatar's reserves are aimed at providing investment opportunities for Indian companies and securing India's energy demands.
• Eradicating terrorism: Agreements were reached on information sharing to prevent money laundering and combat terrorism, reaffirming the collective commitment to eliminate these threats. This cooperation is expected to curb terrorism financing, reduce the flow of illicit funds and enhance stability in the Middle East, resulting in the security of India's diaspora and ensuring uninterrupted energy supply.
• Indian diaspora: Qatar hosts India's largest expatriate community, totaling 0.8 million.

                                            Source:Indian Express