Qatari court reduce death sentence to Indian Navy officers arrested in espionage charges: India

NEW DELHI: The Qatari court has commuted the death sentences of eight former Indian Navy officers who were employees of the security firm Dahra. The officers were in custody since August 2022 and were sentenced to death by the Court of First Instance of Qatar in October this year. The sentences were commuted on Thursday, according to an announcement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

The officers, employed by Dahra, a private company providing training to the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces, have been at the center of a case shrouded in secrecy. While official charges have not been disclosed, media reports last year widely suggested that the former servicemen were arrested on charges of spying for Israel. The Indian government, however, has refrained from commenting on the accusations, citing the confidential and sensitive nature of the case.