PM thanks Emir over the release of eight Indians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed his "deep appreciation" to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AI Thani, for the release of eight former Indian Navy personnel who were given lengthy prison terms after being detained in 2022.

- Rezaul H Laskar

Modi's visit to Qatar, part of a two-nation tour that also took him to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was formally announced soon after Qatar freed the eight men last weekend. At their meeting in Doha, the two leaders discussed ways to deepen the bilateral partnership, especially in areas such as energy and technology. The former naval personnel, employed by a private company called Dahra Global that provided training and other services to Qatar's armed forces, were detained in August 2022 on undeclared charges and spent months in solitary confinement before being sentenced to death last year. Following an appeal, their death sentences were commuted and they were given prison terms of varying duration.

"The Prime Minister thanked the Emir for his support for the welfare of the Indian community and, in this regard, expressed his deep appreciation to the emir for the release of eight Indian nationals of al-Dahra company. We are extremely gratified to see them back in India," foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra told a media briefing in Doha.