Qatar commutes the death penalty against former Indian Navy officers

The Indian Foreign Ministry said that a court in Qatar commuted the death sentences issued against eight former Indian Navy officers.

A ministry statement said that “the sentences were commuted” but did not specify the new punishment they would face.

Neither Qatar nor India revealed the specific charges against the men.

foot And Reuters Unnamed sources reported that the men were accused of spying for Israel.

A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in India declined to comment, saying the matter was “not an Israeli matter.”

“Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the proceedings in this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this stage,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

In October, India said it was “deeply shocked” after the men were sentenced to death. She later filed an appeal against the court ruling.

The arrest of the men last year made headlines in India, but there has been little confirmed information about the charges against them, and the court order has not been made public.

The Indian government said that the eight men were employees of a private company called Al-Dhahra, but it was widely reported that they were former employees of the Indian Navy. Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described them in Parliament as “ex-servicemen” of the country. The families of some of the men also confirmed their identities and background in the Navy to local media.

Earlier this month, India's ambassador to Qatar met the men in prison.

India said on Thursday that its ambassador and other officials were present at the Qatari Court of Appeal along with family members of the men during the hearing.

The ministry's statement added: “We are awaiting the detailed ruling. We are in close contact with the legal team as well as family members to decide on the next steps.”