Court of Appeals In Qatar Commutes Death Of 8 Navy Veterans

My happiness really knows no bounds whatsoever and I to be dead honest just can’t control my tears from flowing freely after listening to news and reading in newspapers that the death penalty after a very long spell of uncertainty was looming like a ‘Damocles Sword’ on the eight ex-Navy personnel sentenced to death in Qatar on October 26 by Qatar’s Court of First Instance has been set aside by a higher court – Qatar’s Court of Appeals in Doha on December 28, 2023 thus giving them reprieve from being executed.

- SANJEEV SIROHI

For this a lot of credit – the “Lion’s Credit” definitely goes to the Central Government led by PM Mr Narendra Modi who is in close touch with the legal team and so also with the family members of the 8 Navy Veterans. India under leadership of PM Mr Modi is striving hard to improve bilateral relations with all countries which includes Arab countries and in fact first Hindu temple is coming up in UAE which depicts how far the relationship are improving which earlier was considered next to impossible! India had described the earlier ruling of death sentence by Qatar’s Court of First Instance as “deeply shocking” and “deeply dismaying” and had vowed to explore all the legal options. They filed appeals against that verdict on November 9.

Needless to say, we have all either seen in news channels or read in newspaper or gathered information from other sources in the media that in the first significant breakthrough in the case against eight former Indian naval personnel sentenced to death in Qatar, the Court of Appeals has commuted their sentences. This was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Ministry in a statement observed that, “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.” It has still not been disclosed what would be the quantum of punishment for them and for how many years will they be jailed!